Some of Nigeria's 36 states already prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM), but last week, a federal law was passed banning the practice. Activists are concerned that legislation on its own isn't enough to stop the practice, according to Reuters.
The law won't be effective without reinforcement, Grace Uwiyeze of the campaign charity Equality Now told Reuters, but it will give power to the states and activists. "It's not going to immediately stop communities from practicing FGM," she said.
As Goodluck Jonathan's final act as president before he turned the office over to Nigeria's newly elected president, Muhammadu Buhari, was to sign the ban into law, according to Reuters. The law was passed by the Senate on May 5. It also prohibits men from abandoning their wives or children without economic support.
"Global experience tells us that ultimately, it's through changing attitudes, not just laws, that we will end FGM," Tanya Barron, chief executive of children's charity Plan International, told Reuters via email. "Prosecution must be just one strand of our efforts to end FGM worldwide. What is encouraging is that we are talking more and more about FGM, in Africa, in Europe and across the world."
