Communication effectiveness in the campaign against female genital mutilation in Iwo local government area of Osun state

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of communication in the campaign against Female Genital Mutilation in Iwo local government area of Osun State. The objectives of the study were, to analyze the role that communication plays in the campaign against Female Genital Mutilation, to determine what campaign strategies are mostly employed in the grassroot level and how effective these strategies are in Iwo local government area. For this research work, theories such as the Feminist theory and Risk perception and communication theory were discussed. Survey method was employed with questionnaire as instrument for data collection. 300 copies of questionnaire were administered to the maternity women and nursing mothers of State hospital and Alaye primary health care, both in Iwo, Osun State and face to face interview were conducted on six medical practitioners from the health centers. However, only 288 copies of the questionnaire were useful and valid. Descriptive statistics was employed while the data collected were analyzed using frequency distribution tables and percentages in which descriptive analysis was utilized to infer meanings to the data in the table. Explanation building was used to analyze responses gathered from the structured interviews. The findings from this study showed that among others, majority of the respondents are aware of the campaign against Female Genital Mutilation, counseling and one on one communication are the communication strategies that are mostly employed in the health centers to campaign against this practice. Also, majority of the respondents are in support of the campaign and did not circumcise their daughters due to what they have heard from different communication strategies on the effect of the practice. Therefore, the use of communication in the campaign against Female Genital Mutilation in Iwo is very effective. The study concluded that people should gradually start to comply with the global medical practices in Nigeria. The researchers recommend that more sensitization programmes should be created by the government for this campaign to reach the grass root level especially those that cannot read and other communication strategies should be employed to campaign against this practice like social media since they are the communication thriving technologies.