Nigerian Footballers Join Campaign to End FGM
February 4, 2022
The Global Media Campaign to End FGM (GMC), a non-profit raising awareness on female genital mutilation (FGM) has created a new online campaign featuring Nigerian football stars to encourage fans - especially men - to take a stand against FGM and elevate knowledge on the human rights issue.
Sponsored by the United Nations (UN) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), #BornPerfect leverages the platforms of well-known athletes to amplify the call. It will launch on the International Day of Zero Tolerance For FGM on February 6 before the Africa Cup of Nations' final match in Cameroon.
GMC believes that FGM and other forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) can be ended by 2030 with a strong alliance of activists, influencers, religious leaders and journalists all working together. It hopes to maximize the power of sport as a means to mobilize, unite and communicate with people from across the globe and, most importantly, in the African countries with the highest rates of FGM. According to the WHO, more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM in 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
"This very painful practice has lifelong physical and psychological effects," explains UNICEF. "Some 44 million of those who have undergone FGM are girls under the age of 15. Africa is by far the continent most affected by the issue of FGM, with 80% of known cases."
FGM is 'rooted in the desire to control women's sexuality and bodily autonomy' and occurs across all cultural, religious, and socio-economic groups. It is most often carried out on girls between infancy and age 15, though adult women are also subjected. It has no health benefits. FGM can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, cysts and infections, as well as complications in childbirth and, at its most harmful, death. The UN demands FGM be halted immediately as a gross violation of human rights.
Sporting legends including three former members of Nigeria’s national football team- Super Eagles– Emmanuel Babayaro, Emmanuel Amunike, and Efe Ambrose, will come together to share a short video with their daughters stating: ‘My daughter is Born perfect – say NO to FGM’. The intention is to spark debate around the dangerous nature of FGM and raise awareness of the suffering of girls and women.
In particular, the campaign seeks to reach young men, instigating conversations with a group that has been avoided previously. GMC aims that this initiative will kickstart a viral social media trend, resulting in millions of videos showcasing the voices of men speaking out against FGM.
“When I first visited Nigeria, I noticed that it was very difficult to grab young men’s attention about FGM. They were more interested in watching their heroes play football on TV in the bar. This #BornPerfect campaign hits the goal – where other forms of campaigning just plain miss – because we are using their football heroes as influencers to help bring about a change in young men’s attitudes towards FGM,” said Maggie O’Kane, Chief Executive of GMC.
The GMC and anti-FGM activists around the world believe that by bringing together the strongest of alliances, FGM can be ended by 2030 in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).