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Stakeholders seek effective implementation of FGM law

Ebonyi

STEPHEN GBADAMOSI, IBADAN

Stakeholders have sought for the implementation of the law against the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) to aid quick and total elimination of the menace in the country.

This was the submission of relevant stakeholders at the weekend during a two-day webinar conference organised by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), HACEY Health Initiative with support of Access Bank to commemorate 2021 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

Wife of the Ekiti State governor, Mrs.Bisi Adeleye Fayemi, while speaking at the conference, tagged; “No Time for Global Inaction: Unite Fund and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation,” said Ekiti State had adopted local solution to eliminate FGM by introducing ‘Drop The Blade for Wealth’ where the state government empowered 120 women who dropped genital mutilation tools for sustainable empowerment.

READ ALSO: Female genital mutilation: Confronting cultural challenge, health complications across the lifespan

On her part, another stakeholder, ‘Olori’ Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi, said addressing illiteracy and poverty would go a long way in achieving zero tolerance for FGM in Nigeria.

Similarly, the Oyo State Commissioner for Health, Dr Bashir Bello, described FGM as a societal problem which was being enabled by poverty, illiteracy and dearth of adequate information.

Dr Bello explained that the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration was also taking steps to end FGM across the state.

He attributed the existence of FGM in the society to culture which, according to him, has overridden the law, making it difficult to identify and, perhaps, punish perpetrators accordingly.

“Seven-year jail term has been prescribed as penalty for anyone who mutilates any female’s genitals, but parents of victims don’t cry out.

“In Oyo State, we have been focusing on the mothers and grandmothers who see FGM as a thing of honour; we want to let them know that the practice is a crime.

“The Oyo State government has also involved ministries of health, women affairs, justice, education and the State House of Assembly in the fight against FGM. We’ve also put the practice among issues that can be described as violence against women.

“We are urging the victims to cry out; particularly, their parents should, so that we can jointly reduce the menace to the barest minimum, if not totally eliminated,” he said.

Also, the UNFPA Country Director in Nigeria, Ulla Elizabeth Mueller, said over two million girls risked genital mutilation across the 36 states of Nigeria.

Mueller, therefore, called for synergy among critical stakeholders to end FGM in the country.

Representative of security agencies, Osun State Commissioner of Police, Olokode Olawale, said conspiracy of silence contributed to inability of the police to arrest perpetrators of FGM, noting that the people see it as family affair.

Olawale, thereafter, called on citizens of the country to report cases of abuses on the girl-child and others to the police.

While speaking, the Executive Director, HACEY Health Initiative, Rhoda Robinson, said the conference was organised to step up awareness about FGM and get stakeholders’ support to protect the girl-child “against the barbaric act.”

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Ihesiulo Grace

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