Group calls for eradication of Female Genital Mutilation
The audience were all appalled at the scene before them, some who could not endure such a show simply move outside the hall or turn their face away from the gruelling scenes emanating from the projector. Some simply whimper that the perpetrators be killed. It was indeed one horrible scene that can purge out the heart just like a horror film but this time it was real life.
It was a documentary on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation across Nigeria and Africa showed at the 7th International Day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practice organised by the Inter-African Committee (IAC) Nigeria on Traditional Practices affecting The Health of women and Children at the banquet hall of Ikeja Local government on Wednesday.
The film show was part of the programme aimed at projecting the damages that female circumcision and other hurtful traditional practices could have on women psychologically and physiologically.
Speaking on the reason for the theme ‘Role of men and boys in the elimination of FGM’ the Executive Director, IAC, Mrs. Oyefunso Orenuga said that since the practice is done in a subtle way and most times it is to please the men, then, if men are educated and informed about the dangers inherent in FGM they can help stop the spread of the practice.
For the children, she said the need to be informed and educated from childhood on the reason why it is evil and should be eschew when they grow up because as she put its “the men made the decisions on whether their children should be circumcise or not”.
She decried the situation where among medical practitioners FGM is been medicalised, saying that the organisation is also campaigning against the medicalization of FGM, hence, the sub-theme ‘Engaging health workers in the campaign to reach zero tolerance to FGM and early child marriage’.
Orenuga later did a demonstration on how FGM is carried out and the effect it use to have on women later in life especially when they want to deliver, which could render them childless or even destroy the foetus.
In her key note address, the President of IAC-Nigeria Professor Modupe Onadeko said that the programme was organised to call the attention of Government and other stakeholders to see the need to accelerate and implement actions to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria.
“Female Genital Mutilation is violence against women, it is violence against human rights of women and against the promotion of gender equality,” she said while stressing that men as the head of the family are in better position to make decisions against the practice of FGM.
Prof. Onadeko explained that children especially boys should be involve from the early stage of life by inculcating in them the right attitude so that by the time they become adult and get married they can say No to FGM.
“This partnership will work tirelessly to see that a law to criminalize this act and other harmful traditional practice should be passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly as a matter of urgency,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Lagos State represented by Mrs. Mojisola Kasim said that the role of collaboration cannot be over emphasis, hence, the administration will leave no stone unturn to stop the practice saying that the IAC should be rest assured of the support of the state ministry of Health in tackling the scourge.
On her own part the representative of the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Idoko reveal that over 140 million women are subjected to this harmful and horrible practice and call for the need to educate youths and children.
Chief Ade Omiata from the Ministry of Health and also a consultant with IAC talks about the importance of involving men in the elimination of FGM “men will have to say no, it is awful and evil,” he said. He later called for the message about the dangers of FGM to be taken to the rural areas.
The Inter-African committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) is made up of 28 Africa countries where FGM and early child marriages are been practice. It was founded in 1984 while the Nigeria office was founded in 1985. The International day on Zero Tolerance to female genital Mutilation was officially launched by the former first lady of Nigeria Mrs. Stella Obasanjo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2003 and recognised by the United Nation
It was a documentary on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation across Nigeria and Africa showed at the 7th International Day on Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practice organised by the Inter-African Committee (IAC) Nigeria on Traditional Practices affecting The Health of women and Children at the banquet hall of Ikeja Local government on Wednesday.
The film show was part of the programme aimed at projecting the damages that female circumcision and other hurtful traditional practices could have on women psychologically and physiologically.
Speaking on the reason for the theme ‘Role of men and boys in the elimination of FGM’ the Executive Director, IAC, Mrs. Oyefunso Orenuga said that since the practice is done in a subtle way and most times it is to please the men, then, if men are educated and informed about the dangers inherent in FGM they can help stop the spread of the practice.
For the children, she said the need to be informed and educated from childhood on the reason why it is evil and should be eschew when they grow up because as she put its “the men made the decisions on whether their children should be circumcise or not”.
She decried the situation where among medical practitioners FGM is been medicalised, saying that the organisation is also campaigning against the medicalization of FGM, hence, the sub-theme ‘Engaging health workers in the campaign to reach zero tolerance to FGM and early child marriage’.
Orenuga later did a demonstration on how FGM is carried out and the effect it use to have on women later in life especially when they want to deliver, which could render them childless or even destroy the foetus.
In her key note address, the President of IAC-Nigeria Professor Modupe Onadeko said that the programme was organised to call the attention of Government and other stakeholders to see the need to accelerate and implement actions to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria.
“Female Genital Mutilation is violence against women, it is violence against human rights of women and against the promotion of gender equality,” she said while stressing that men as the head of the family are in better position to make decisions against the practice of FGM.
Prof. Onadeko explained that children especially boys should be involve from the early stage of life by inculcating in them the right attitude so that by the time they become adult and get married they can say No to FGM.
“This partnership will work tirelessly to see that a law to criminalize this act and other harmful traditional practice should be passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly as a matter of urgency,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Lagos State represented by Mrs. Mojisola Kasim said that the role of collaboration cannot be over emphasis, hence, the administration will leave no stone unturn to stop the practice saying that the IAC should be rest assured of the support of the state ministry of Health in tackling the scourge.
On her own part the representative of the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Idoko reveal that over 140 million women are subjected to this harmful and horrible practice and call for the need to educate youths and children.
Chief Ade Omiata from the Ministry of Health and also a consultant with IAC talks about the importance of involving men in the elimination of FGM “men will have to say no, it is awful and evil,” he said. He later called for the message about the dangers of FGM to be taken to the rural areas.
The Inter-African committee on Traditional Practices (IAC) is made up of 28 Africa countries where FGM and early child marriages are been practice. It was founded in 1984 while the Nigeria office was founded in 1985. The International day on Zero Tolerance to female genital Mutilation was officially launched by the former first lady of Nigeria Mrs. Stella Obasanjo in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2003 and recognised by the United Nation
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