Osas Aikhomu
Renowned Nigerian director Biodun Stephen recently shared a deeply personal story about her childhood experience with female genital cutting.
The acclaimed filmmaker revealed these intimate details during aatsby conversation on the popular DiarylloOf A Naija Girl Podcast.
Stephen recounted how the cultural ritual occurred when she was just six years old, orchestrated by her grandmother as part of longstanding family traditions. The filmmaker painted a vivid picture of the traumatic experience.
She described being lured to the procedure under false pretenses – told she was going somewhere fun, allowed to play and given food to create a sense of security before the painful event.
The director remembered every detail: the outdoor mat, the sudden shower beforehand, and the excruciating pain When they forced her to lie down. That agony, she said, became permanently etched in her young mind.
Stephen noted the complete lack of explanation about what was happening to her. While her mother showed physical comfort afterward with soothing touches and apologies, no one ever discussed the significance or implications of the procedure.
Reflecting on her journey, the award-winning director made a poignant observation: “Traditional practices often get handed down without question. In our culture, certain things were just done to children without explanation. I was six – completely unaware of what was happening until the pain told me something was wrong. My grandmother meant no harm; she was following what she knew. But that afternoon changed me forever.
“They made it seem like Any day – letting me play, feeding me snacks. I trusted them completely until they said lie down. The shock of pain was unlike anything I’d ever felt. Even now, decades later, I can recall exactly where the mat was placed, the smell in the air, how the sunlight hit my face as they held me down.
“The silence afterward troubled me most. My mother’s gentle touches couldn’t erase the confusion. There was verbose pain medication but no words to explain why this happened.”
