Campaign against female mutilation hits Osun

The growing calls for the abolition of female genital mutilation have got a boost in Osun State through the partnership of United Nations with two Nigeria-based organisations.

The groups in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund are the Young Men’s Foundation Against Sexual and Gender-based Violence (YMNAGBV) and the Education as a Vaccine (EVA).

The Coordinator of the Nigeria-based group, Mr Ademola Adebisi, made the disclosure to newsmen in Osogbo.

He said the partnership agreement was reached in order to create awareness about the dangers attached to the act.

According to him, the campaign was necessary in Osun because of the increasing rate of circumcision in the state.

“Female Genital Mutilation has become a taboo in our society,ten states in Nigeria including Osun have legislation against FGM and the federal legislation have also signed the Act of violence against person(Prohibition)Act into law in May,2015,” he added.

The sensitization course, which begun with Owode Orolu and Idi-iroko in Orolu local government, has also been taken to Owode-ede and Adejuwon village in Ede north Local Government.

The Adele Bale of Adejuwon community, Chief Oseni Kehinde, lauded the programme, emphasising that cutting the female would not control sexuality.

He, however, said that neighboring countries like Ghana did not indulge in the act and their females were less promiscuous.

One of the residents of the community, Mr Azeez Hassan, also lauded the efforts of the organisation, saying he would make it a point of duty  enlightening other people in the community who were yet to be sensitize.