Wa west: The Community Development Alliance (CDA-Ghana) has provided livelihood support items to 14 former female circumcisers in the Wa West District as part of efforts to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
According to Ghana News Agency, the items distributed included goats, pigs, cooking pots, basins, and bags of shea nuts, intended as alternative livelihood sources to discourage the practice of FGM. The recipients, hailing from communities such as Bankpama, Kantu, Tuolu Domangyili, and Zowayeli, received these items after three years of sensitization, training, and engagement against FGM.
This initiative is part of the 'Shaping the Future Together Towards Equity, Peace and Change' Project, funded by The Association for the Promotion of Women of Gaoua (APFG), a Burkinabe NGO. The project is being implemented across Ghana, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Ivory Coast by the West African Network of NGOs against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, with CDA-Ghana leading efforts in the Upper West Region.
During the ceremony at Wechiau, Mr. Salifu Issifu Kanton, Executive Director of CDA-Ghana, emphasized that the gesture aims to encourage the women to become advocates against FGM in their communities. He highlighted the importance of respecting the sanctity of the female genitalia to protect children from harm.
Madam Charity Batuure, Upper West Regional Director of the Department of Gender, praised the beneficiaries for abandoning FGM and adopting new livelihoods. She also applauded CDA-Ghana for supporting governmental efforts to eliminate FGM in the region and nationwide. Batuure warned against harmful emerging practices, such as using hot shea butter on baby girls, which could lead to severe health complications and trauma.
The Gender Director urged the women to act as change agents by discouraging all forms of FGM and harmful cultural practices. Madam Cecilia Kakariba, Wa West District Director of Health Services, highlighted the health risks associated with FGM, including excessive bleeding, infections, childbirth complications, and psychological trauma. She noted that CDA-Ghana, in collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, had identified the 14 women involved in FGM three years ago and engaged them in training and counselling.
Madam Hajara Gariba, a former circumciser from Kpanfa, acknowledged that ignorance drove their past practices, and that the intervention has enlightened them on its negative impacts.