The wife of the Anambra State Governor, Dr Nonye Soludo, and founder of the Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative, has described Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), as a gross violation of human rights and an unjustifiable form of violence against girls and women.
In a press statement issued on Friday in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Dr Soludo said there is “absolutely nothing culturally or morally upright” about subjecting a girl child to a lifetime of pain, trauma and suffering through FGM.
“FGM is not only a violation of the rights and dignity of girls and women; it is an obnoxious custom that ought never to have existed,” she stated.
Dr Soludo emphasised that in an era where education has become one of the most powerful tools for human capital development, greater attention must be given to empowering girls and women to lead the campaign against harmful traditional practices. She noted that through sustained health education and community awareness, women can play a decisive role in ending procedures that endanger lives and well-being.
She described FGM as a clear breach of fundamental human rights, warning that the act has devastating and lifelong consequences for its victims.
According to her, girls and women who undergo FGM often suffer severe physical complications, alongside long-term psychological, emotional, sexual and mental health challenges.
“The trauma and injuries sustained during this agonising ritual can take a lifelong toll on the well-being of victims. For many, it ruins their lives permanently,” she said.
Citing global statistics, Dr Soludo noted that an estimated four million girls are subjected to FGM every year, with more than two million of these cases occurring before the age of five. She added that over 230 million girls and women worldwide are currently living with the consequences of the procedure and require urgent access to medical and psychosocial support.
Describing the persistence of FGM as a global emergency, the Anambra First Lady called for urgent and coordinated action to end the ritual, warning that continued silence and inaction would place the future of millions of girls at serious risk.
“The future of our girls is in serious doubt if we continue to turn a blind eye to these barbaric cultural traditions. We do not have to wait until 2030. By then, it could be too late. The right time to act was yesterday,” she said.
Her statement comes amid renewed global efforts to eliminate FGM, a procedure outlawed in Nigeria and many other countries but which continues in some communities due to entrenched cultural beliefs, limited awareness and weak enforcement of existing laws. Dr Soludo reaffirmed her commitment, through Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo and other advocacy platforms, to promoting public health, protecting the rights of girls and supporting initiatives aimed at ending the practice.