1 month ago
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By Dayo Johnson & Rotimi Ojomoyela
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for urgent corporate enactment to extremity Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) successful Nigeria, describing it arsenic a sedate usurpation of the rights of women and girls.
Speaking astatine a two-day media dialog organized by the Oyo State Ministry of Information and Orientation successful collaboration with UNICEF held successful Benin, Edo State, the Chief of the UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said much than 20 cardinal women and girls successful Nigeria person undergone FGM, with the bulk chopped earlier their sixth birthday.
Lafoucriere noted that astatine specified a young age, they are wholly powerless and incapable to defy oregon adjacent recognize what is happening to them.
She stressed that nary contented oregon taste signifier should endanger the health, dignity and aboriginal of girls, portion besides highlighting the important relation of the media successful amplifying survivors’ voices, challenging harmful practices and inspiring families to marque antithetic choices for their daughters.
According to her “FGM is simply a usurpation inflicted connected women and girls . Over 20 cardinal women and girls successful Nigeria person undergone FGM.
“Most of them were chopped earlier their 6th day and astatine that stage, they are wholly parallel, wherever they can’t defy oregon adjacent recognize what is happening to them.
“Despite the uproar successful Nigeria, this harmful signifier continues to persist successful galore communities done myths and traditions.
“No customs oregon civilization should ever travel astatine the disbursal of girls’ wellness oregon their future.
“The bully quality is that alteration tin hap done collaboration similar the question and inaugural led by the national authorities successful collaboration with UNICEF, millions of Nigerian radical person already pledged to support girls from being cut. Survivors are starring the mode and young radical are demanding for a amended future.
“This is wherever the media comes successful to amplify survivor’s voices and situation harmful practices and to animate families to take otherwise for their daughters. Use your reach, platforms and creativity to guarantee that each azygous miss successful Nigeria is escaped from FGM”.
The two-day event, brought unneurotic experts, advocates and media stakeholders to fortify advocacy and mobilize resources towards eliminating FGM crossed the country.
Earlier, Blessing Ejiofor, Communication Officer UNICEF, said that ” the purpose of this gathering is to equip the media with broad cognition astir FGM’s devastating interaction connected women and girls’ rights and wellbeing.
Ejiofor added that “Secondly, to supply the media with the tools and materials needed to amplify advocacy efforts crossed Southwest Nigeria’s highest prevalence states.
Mr Denis Onoise, the Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF, Lagos Office, highlighted the magnitude of the crisis, noting that Nigeria ranks 3rd globally successful the prevalence of FGM, with projections suggesting that numbers could emergence by implicit 50 percent if urgent interventions are not scaled up.
He pointed retired that myths sustaining the signifier proceed to substance its persistence, with alarming statistic showing that much than fractional of enactment workers successful Nigeria person been subjected to mutilation.
An FGM Consultant, Aderonke Olutayo, emphasized connected the request to dispel deep-seated misconceptions astir the practice.
Olutayo explained that galore communities wrongly judge FGM prevents promiscuity, portion others perpetuate myths astir intersexual satisfaction.
She urged religion leaders, parents and assemblage influencers to situation harmful narratives and prioritize the wellbeing of girls and women.
Speaking connected the captious relation of the media, the Oyo State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Rotimi Babalola, emphasized the request for media professionals to measurement up their relation successful raising consciousness and shaping nationalist opinion.
Babalola said “The media is precise captious due to the fact that you acceptable the docket for nine to follow. We request to enactment other effort into this run truthful that, successful each the states covered by UN...
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