The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for the protection of girls in Nigeria and an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a practice that infringes on the rights of girls and interferes with their reproductive wellbeing.
Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, made the call at a two day Media Dialogue in support of advocacy to end FGM in Nigeria.
The dialogue was organised by Oyo State Ministry of Information and Orientation in collaboration with UNICEF.
According to Lafoucriere, “over 20 million women and girls in Nigeria are affected by Female Genital Mutilation, most of whom were cut when they had no voice or opinion.”
She noted that, “Most of them were cut before their fifth birthday, when they couldn’t consent, resist or even understand what was happening.”
Lafoucriere stated that FGM is a human rights challenge and a violation of the rights of girls, which must be speedily brought to an end in Nigeria.
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She explained that available statistics rank Nigeria among the most FGM endemic countries globally, a situation which calls for urgent stakeholders’ intervention.
“This is a huge number that we cannot be blind or deaf to,” Lafoucriere said.
The UNICEF Chief emphasised that in spite of legislations banning the practice and stipulating penalties for offenders, FGM still persists in communities across the country.
Lafoucriere noted that the practice is fueled by myths and traditions that must be recognised as harmful, adding that no culture or custom should ever come at the expense of girls’ health, rights or future.
She called for collaborative action to double down on the myths fuelling FGM and end it once and for all.
“The good news is that change can happen through collaboration like the movement and initiative led by the federal government in collaboration with UNICEF.
“Millions of Nigerian people have already pledged to protect girls from being cut. Survivors are leading the way and young people are demanding for a better future,” Lafoucriere stated.
The UNICEF Chief also urged the media to amplify the voices of survivors as a recurring strategy to raise awareness and spark conversations in the grassroots where the practice is still prevalent.
In his presentation, Dennis Onoise, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Lagos Office, said FGM hurts and imposes lifelong health risks on girls, putting them through avoidable physical and psychological trauma.
Onoise said, “Despite its cultural importance, Female Genital Mutilation has potential short and long term medical complications just as it harms the reproductive health and infringes on women’s rights.”
He added that preventing FGM brings benefits not only to the girls but also to their immediate families and communities as a whole.
An FGM consultant, Aderonke Olutayo, in her presentation, decried the low awareness level of the law against FGM and rights of women and girls in Nigeria.
She stressed that such gaps as well as proliferation of unsustainable myths and misconceptions fuel the practice of FGM in most communities.
Also speaking on the role of the media, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Orientation in Oyo State, Rotimi Babalola, emphasised the need for professionals to continue to raise awareness about FGM and educate the grassroots.
“Let me commend you for what you have been doing, but I will urge you to do more for this worthy cause so we can effectively end Female Genital Mutilation in the southwest states and Edo state including all the other states covered by UNICEF.”
He urged journalists to be sensitive in their reportage of FGM stories to avoid traumatizing survivors by making them relive the unpleasant experience all over again.
“Remember that our aim is to raise awareness and to protect our women and girls,” he said.
The two-day Media Dialogue was held in Benin City, Edo state, to look for more effective strategies to end Female Genital Mutilation in Nigeria, particularly in Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Lagos and Edo states.