Harmful Traditional Practices, Effects and Prevention for JSS 1

Harmful Traditional Practices, Effects and Prevention

Performance Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of harmful traditional practices.
2. give examples of harmful traditional practices;
3. explain preventive measures against harmful traditional practices;
4. develop advocacy programme to eliminate harmful traditional practices.

Meaning of Harmful Traditional Practices

Harmful traditional practices are customs or ways of doing things that have been passed down through generations in a community, but which cause physical or psychological harm to people, especially women and children.

These practices are often deeply rooted in culture, beliefs, and social norms. Even though they are called “traditional,” they are harmful because they violate human rights, cause pain, injury, or even death, and prevent individuals from living full and healthy lives.

Examples of Harmful Traditional Practices

Many communities in Nigeria and other parts of the world have traditional practices. While many traditions are good and help to preserve culture, some are harmful. It is important to identify and understand these harmful practices so that they can be stopped.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a practice that involves cutting or removing parts of the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons.

This practice is extremely painful and has no health benefits. Instead, it causes severe bleeding, infections, difficulty in childbirth, and long-term psychological trauma. It is a violation of the human rights of girls and women.

Harmful Widowhood Practices/Maltreatment

Harmful widowhood practices are traditional customs that subject women to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment after the death of their husbands.

These practices can include forcing a widow to shave her hair, drink the water used to wash her husband’s corpse, sit on the floor for many days, or be isolated from the community. Widows may also be accused of causing their husband’s death, disinherited, or denied access to their children. Such practices cause immense emotional distress, poverty, and social isolation.

Child Labour

Child labour is the employment of children in any work that deprives them of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially, or morally dangerous and harmful.

Examples include children working in mines, factories, farms, or as street hawkers for long hours, carrying heavy loads, or being exposed to dangerous chemicals. This practice prevents children from getting an education, playing, and developing properly, thereby limiting their future opportunities.

Child Marriage

Child marriage is a formal marriage or informal union entered into by an individual before reaching the age of 18.

This practice mostly affects girls, forcing them into marriage when they are still children. Child marriage denies girls their right to education, health, and safety. It often leads to early pregnancies, which are dangerous for young mothers and their babies, and increases their risk of domestic violence and social isolation.

Ritual Servitude

Ritual servitude is a practice where young girls or women are given to traditional priests or shrines to serve for a period, often to atone for a family member’s alleged sins or misfortunes.

Those in ritual servitude are often subjected to forced labour, sexual exploitation, and denied education and freedom. They are treated as property and are unable to leave the shrine or priest’s service without complex and often costly rituals. This practice is a severe form of human rights abuse and modern-day slavery.

Prevention of Harmful Traditional Practices and Violence Against Persons

Preventing harmful traditional practices requires efforts from individuals, families, communities, and the government. It is about protecting everyone, especially the vulnerable, from harm.

Preventive measures against harmful traditional practices include:

1. Education and Awareness: Teaching people, especially children and parents, about the dangers and negative effects of these practices. This helps to change beliefs and attitudes that support harmful traditions.
2. Community Engagement: Involving community leaders, elders, religious leaders, and youth in discussions to challenge and abandon harmful practices. When communities understand the harm, they can collectively decide to stop them.
3. Enforcement of Laws: Governments enacting and enforcing laws that prohibit harmful traditional practices. For example, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in Nigeria criminalises many forms of violence and harmful practices, including FGM, harmful widowhood practices, and child marriage.
4. Reporting and Support Systems: Creating safe ways for victims or witnesses of harmful practices to report them to authorities or support organisations. This includes providing help and protection for those who have been affected.
5. Empowerment of Women and Girls: Providing women and girls with education, skills, and economic opportunities. When women and girls are empowered, they are better able to resist harmful practices and make informed decisions about their lives.
6. Role of Parents and Guardians: Parents and guardians have a responsibility to protect their children from harmful practices and ensure their well-being. They should educate their children about their rights and the importance of speaking out against harm.

Developing an Advocacy Programme to Eliminate Harmful Traditional Practices

An advocacy programme is a planned effort to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. For harmful traditional practices, it means working to change laws, policies, and public opinion to stop these practices.

Developing an advocacy programme involves the following steps:

1. Identify the Problem: Clearly state which harmful traditional practice is to be addressed (e.g., child marriage in a community).
2. Understand the Causes: Research why the practice continues. This could be due to poverty, lack of education, cultural beliefs, or fear.
3. Set Clear Goals: Decide what is to be achieved. For example, “To raise awareness about the dangers of child marriage among parents in our community” or “To encourage community leaders to speak out against FGM.”
4. Identify the Audience: Determine who needs to hear the message. This could be parents, community leaders, religious figures, or young people.
5. Develop Key Messages: Create simple, clear, and convincing messages. For example, “Child marriage harms girls’ health and future” or “FGM is illegal and causes lifelong pain.”
6. Choose Advocacy Activities: Decide how the message will be delivered. This could include:
   1. Organising school debates or drama presentations on the topic.
   2. Creating posters or flyers with information about the harmful practice and its effects.
   3. Holding discussions with family members, friends, and neighbours.
   4. Writing short articles or poems for the school newspaper or community notice board.
   5. Inviting a resource person (like a social worker or community leader) to speak to the class or group.
7. Gather Support: Work with others who share the concern, such as classmates, teachers, or community groups.
8. Take Action: Implement the chosen activities.
9. Evaluate Efforts: After the activities, consider what worked well and what could be improved for next time. Did people understand the message? Did it lead to any changes?

Even as a JSS1 student, individuals can start small by discussing these issues with friends and family, creating awareness materials, and participating in school-based initiatives. Every effort to speak out against harmful practices contributes to a safer and healthier society.