Art has long served as a potent tool for social commentary, capable of transcending linguistic and cultural barriers to evoke empathy and provoke social reform. This study, Adaptation of Stained-Glass Techniques for the Exploration of Child Labour in Painting, reinterprets the aesthetic and structural principles of stained glass, its colour fragmentation, geometric segmentation, and luminous interplay with light, as conceptual strategies for visual advocacy. Historically used to convey moral and spiritual narratives, stained glass here becomes a metaphorical and expressive medium for addressing the issue of child labour in Nigeria. Through a conceptual and studio-based approach, the research adapts stained-glass aesthetics onto canvas using techniques of colour gradation, symbolic segmentation, and abstraction to depict the fractured experiences of working children. Drawing inspiration from Piet Mondrian’s Neo-Plasticism and Yusuf Grillo’s planar compositions, the study merges modernist abstraction with African social realities to reveal how beauty and moral consciousness can coexist in postmodern painting. The resulting artworks embody emotional tension between hardship and hope, transforming sacred visual language into an instrument of empathy, education, and reform. The findings affirm the potential of art as a tool for social advocacy and propose stained-glass adaptation as an innovative framework for engaging humanitarian themes within contemporary studio practice.
Child labour is one of the contemporary issues that has attracted the attention of many researchers. Most school children all over the world are engaged in child labour. This research investigates the effects of child labour on children academic activities in the Krachi East District in Ghana. The research adopted the mixed method. The purposive and snow ball sampling technique were used to select one hundred and sixty (160) victims of child labour. The questionnaire was the main instrument used for data collection. The questionnaire was edited by experts in child labour and this helped to achieve validity. Data were analysed using tables and figures. It was realized that 68.7% of the children were engaged in agricultural activities and the major reasons for their plight include large household size, parental illiteracy and poverty. Child labour leads to low academic performance. The study recommends that government should support children from poor homes.
Jacob Issaka, Francis Hull Adams, Ethel Gyimah et al.
Background: Female Genital Mutilation is still practiced in Ebonyi State in Southeast Nigeria, despite the complications that follows it and government legislation against the practice. Aim: To determine the impact of Culture, Beliefs, attitude and Peer Group Influence on the persistence Female Genital Mutilation practice in the State especially in the rural areas. Materials and Methods: Qualitative study that used Focused Group Discussion and In-depth interviews for data collection. Those willing and given consent were recruited into the group discussion according to age, marital status, educational level and their location in the state. In-depth interviews were used with the Stake Holders, Opinion Leaders, Traditional Rulers and the Clergy. Result: A total of 454 participants were recruited from the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi State but only 420 (92.5%) participated. The age ranges of participants were 25 to 35 years for single males and females while the married participants male and female were aged 35 to 70 years. One hundred single females (23.8%) and 94 single males (21.4%) participated while 97 (23.1%) married women and 95 (22.6%) married men participated. Out of the 26 health workers recruited only 22 (5.2%) participated. Four traditional rulers, 4 women leaders, 4 youth leaders and 2 clergy 12 (2.9%) in number had in-depth interviews. All the participants had knowledge of FGM and its practice. Rural health workers are getting more involved. ‘Female Genital Crushing’ is replacing actual cutting. The participants all agreed there is no benefit and the practice should stop. Conclusion: Female Genital Mutilation is secretly practiced and is getting replaced by “Female Genital Crushing” perpetrated by rural health workers as well as mothers, fathers, traditional birth attendants and the peer group playing a major role with low knowledge of the Law against Female genital mutilation.
BACKGROUND: Globally, an estimated two million women have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and approximately four percent of women who have been circumcised live in Ghana. In the Bawku Municipality and Pusiga District, sixty one percent of women have undergone the procedure. This study therefore aimed at identifying the factors that sustain the practice of FGM despite its illegality, in the Bawku Municipality and the Pusiga District. METHOD: This study used a descriptive qualitative design based on grounded theory. We used purposive sampling to identify and recruit community stakeholders, and then used the snowball sampling to identify, recruit, and interview circumcised women. We then used community stakeholders to identify two types of focus group participants: men and women of reproductive age and older men and women from the community. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted and qualitative analysis undertaken to develop a conceptual framework for understanding both the roots and the drivers of FGM. RESULTS: Historical traditions and religious rites preserve FGM and ensure its continuity, and older women and peers are a source of support for the practice through the pressure they exert. The easy movement of women across borders (to where FGM is still practice) helps to perpetuate the practice, as does the belief that FGM will preserve virginity and reduce promiscuity. In addition, male dominance and lack of female autonomy ensures continuation of the practice. CONCLUSION: Female Genital Mutilation continues to persist despite its illegality because of social pressure on women/girls to conform to social norms, peer acceptance, fear of criticism and religious reasons. Implementing interventions targeting border towns, religious leaders and their followers, older men and women and younger men and women will help eradicate the practice.
Evelyn Sakeah, Cornelius Y. Debpuur, Raymond Aborigo et al.
Background: Female Genital Mutilation is the excision of any part of the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.According to the World Health Organization, approximately 200 million girls and women have been mutilated around the world.This practise is strongly tied to different cultural traditions.FGM has called for international recognition due to its violation of human rights.Over the past decades, there have been deliberations by researchers concerning the practice of FGM.Some have tried to understand the perception behind the practise of FGM from a Cultural Relativism aspect while others perceive it from an Ethical Relativism perspective.The Nigeria Demographic Health Survey, estimated that the prevalence rate of FGM was 24.8% in 2013.Despite the interventions in place, there is still a persistence of FGM in Nigeria.Objectives: 1) To Identify various contextual factors attributing to the persistence of FGM in Nigeria.2) To recognise how these factors affect the Anti-FGM interventions in Nigeria.3) To examine the attitudes and perception of the victims and other Nigerians towards FGM.
Background: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a major public health problem in Sierra Leone. However, its prevalence and related factors are not documented. We conducted this study to determine the prevalence and factors associated with FGM in Sierra Leone. Method: We used the FGM data of Sierra Leone, 2017, extracted from the United Nations International Children Emergency Fund multiple indicator cluster survey. We conducted descriptive analysis to determine the frequencies and proportion of demographic and female circumcision variables. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between circumcision and explanatory variables. Result: Of the 18,194 women aged 18-49 years surveyed, 84.7% (15,406) were married, 69.4% (12,630) lived in rural areas, and 71.8% (13,062) had pre-primary education. The prevalence of FGM was 96.7% (17,598) among women aged 18-49 years, and 99.7% (18139) of the respondents have heard of FGM. Of the circumcised women, 82% (14,409) were living in rural areas and 97.9% (17,225) had no functional difficulty as a result of female circumcision. In Multivariable binary logistic regression, high level of education (aOR= 5.4, 95% CI:4.81, 7.06) and p-value ˂0.001), single women (aOR= 3.0, 95% CI:2.54, 3.82) and p-value ˂0.001), and richest women (aOR= 2.2, 95% CI:1.51, 3.59) and p-value ˂0.001) were factors associated with FGM. Conclusion: We found a high prevalence of FGM in Sierra Leone. FGM is prevalent among single women, rich in the wealth index women, and women with high education levels. We recommend developing policies, community sensitization, and including FGM in school curricula to end FGM in Sierra Leone.
BACKGROUND: Globally, three million girls are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) and an estimated 200 million girls and women in the world have undergone FGM. While the overall prevalence of FGM in Ghana is 4%, studies have shown that the overall prevalence in the Upper East Region is 38%, with Bawku municipality recording the highest at 82%. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design with a quantitative approach: a survey with women of reproductive age (15-49). RESULTS: Among all respondents, 830 women who participated in the study, 61% reported having undergone FGM. Of those circumcised, 66% indicated their mothers influenced it. Three quarters of the women think FGM could be stopped through health education. Women who live in the Pusiga district (AOR: 1.66; 95% CI: 1.16-2.38), are aged 35-49 (AOR: 4.24; 95% CI: 2.62-6.85), and have no formal education (AOR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.43-5.43) or primary education (AOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.03-4.31) were more likely to be circumcised relative to those who reside in Bawku Municipal, are aged 15-24, and had tertiary education. Likewise, married women (AOR: 3.82; 95% CI: 2.53-5.76) were more likely to have been circumcised compared with unmarried women. At a site-specific level, factors associated with FGM included age and marital status in Bawku, and age, marital status, and women's education in Pusiga. CONCLUSION: Female Genital Mutilation is still being practiced in the Bawku Municipality and the Pusiga District of northern Ghana, particularly among women with low socio-economic status. Implementing interventions that would provide health education to communities and promote girl-child education beyond the primary level could help end the practice.
Evelyn Sakeah, Cornelius Y. Debpuur, Abraham Rexford Oduro et al.
A 2010 survey in The Gambia among women of reproductive age put the prevalence rate of FGM/C at 76.3%. FGM/C was banned in 2015, but there is no real effort at enforcement of the ban. This study aimed to provide national data on obstetric outcomes to support advocacy and health education. A multicentre observational study to assess the obstetric and neonatal outcomes of parturient women with and without FGM/C was carried out across 4 healthcare facilities in The Gambia. The primary outcome was postpartum haemorrhage (>500ml) and secondary outcomes were caesarean section, perineal tears (including episiotomy), neonatal resuscitation and perinatal death. Of the 1,569 participants recruited into the study, 23% had no FGM/C while 77% had FGM/C of varying severity. The risk of postpartum haemorrhage was doubled for women with type I FGM/C, tripled in type II FGM/C and increased by 5-fold for those with type III and IV FGM/C. Caesarean section and perineal tears were also increased. FGM/C was associated with increased risk for neonatal resuscitation and perinatal death. FGM/C is associated with poor obstetric and neonatal outcomes in the Gambia with degree of risk correlating with the severity of FGM/C.
Patrick Idoko, Alice Jane Armitage, Momodou T Nyassi et al.
BACKGROUND: Guinea has a high prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM) (95%) and it is a major concern affecting the health and the welfare of women and girls. Population-based surveys suggest that health care providers are implicated in carrying out the practice (medicalization). To understand the attitudes of health care providers related to FGM and its medicalization as well as the potential role of the health sector in addressing this practice, a study was conducted in Guinea to inform the development of an intervention for the health sector to prevent and respond to this harmful practice. METHODOLOGY: Formative research was conducted using a mixed-methods approach, including qualitative in-depth interviews with health care providers and other key informants as well as questionnaires with 150 health care providers. Data collection was carried out in the provinces of Faranah and Labé and in the capital, Conakry. RESULTS: The majority of health care providers participating in this study were opposed to FGM and its medicalization. Survey data showed that 94% believed that it was a serious problem; 89% felt that it violated the rights of girls and women and 81% supported criminalization. However, within the health sector, there is no enforcement or accountability to the national law banning the practice. Despite opposition to the practice, many (38%) felt that FGM limited promiscuity and 7% believed that it was a good practice. CONCLUSION: Health care providers could have an important role in communicating with patients and passing on prevention messages that can contribute to the abandonment of the practice. Understanding their beliefs is a key step in developing these approaches.
Mamadou Diouldé Baldé, Mamadou Diouldé Baldé, Sarah O’Neill et al.
Background: Despite collaborative efforts aimed at its eradication, Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) continues in endemic areas. Objective: To evaluate the experience and preparedness of female adolescents to protect their future daughters from FGM/C. Methods: A cross-sectional survey involving adolescent secondary school girls in North Central Nigeria. Participants were secondary school students who completed the study's self-administered questionnaire after informed parental or participant's consent. Data management was with SPSS 20.0 (IBM, USA), P-value <0.05 was significant. Results: There were 2000 participants aged 13-19 years (mean 15.56±1.75), prevalence of FGM/C was 35.0%, awareness was 86.1%, mutilation was performed between infancy and eight years of age (mean 3.85±3.24 years), 644(32.2%) desire to mutilatetheir future daughters, 722(36.1%) expressed support for FGM/C and 63.1% of victims of FM/C reported adverse post-mutilation experiences. Support for FGM/C was associated with low social class (P0.0010), opinion that FGM/C has benefit (P0.001) and desire to mutilate future daughters (P0.001) while awareness of efforts to eradicate FMG/C was 813(40.7%). Conclusion: FGM/C remains prevalent with potential support for its continuation among female adolescents despite reported adverse post-mutilation experiences. The multi-pronged approach to eradicate FGM/C should prioritize re-orientation for adolescent girls, rehabilitation of mutilated girls and girl child formal education.
Grace G. Ezeoke, Abiodun S. Adeniran, Kikelomo T. Adesina et al.
