From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria (TBI), a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria, has launched a movement to end rising cases of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria.
The Executive Director, TBI, Mr Dare Adaramoye over the weekend made this known at a day state-level orientation meeting with the executives of youths and women organisations for partnership on ‘Movement for Good (M4Good)’ campaign to put an end to female genital mutilation in the society.
Adaramoye, a UNICEF facilitator, said that the objectives of the meeting was to increase the knowledge of FGM, mobilse, orientate and secure partnership of youths and women-led Community Based Organisations (CBOs) on FGM and to develop an action plan for M4Good partners.
He noted that FGM could be described as all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
He said that the act is violence against the female body and a human rights violation.
According to him, FGM brought complications such as intense pain, excessive bleeding, urinary inconvenience, difficulties during menstruation, clitoral neuroma and difficulties during sexual intercourse and childbirth among others.
“FGM violates a series of well established human rights principles, norms and standard such as right to freedom from torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment.
“M4Good is a community led undertaking to accelerate grassroots efforts to end FGM in Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun and Oyo States. The movement will mobilse five million people who will pledge and act to end FGM in the five states.
“We call on people to join the movement and act to end FGM by visiting https://act2endfgm.com/rtbi to make pledge to end FGM online.
“Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria is currently implementing the community based activities on FGM in partnership with UNICEF Nigeria in Kajola and Iseyin Local Government Areas of Oyo state asides our state level engagement to end FGM in the state,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director, Children Welfare, Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mr Lateef Ariori, urged the participants to advocate to religious and community leaders to denounce FGM and lead a collective action to abolish FGM practice.
Ariori called on the participants to identify, report, respond and always refer FGM cases to appropriate authorities in the state.
The state level orientation meeting featured endorsement and signing of communique/resolutions, development of Plan of Action, questions and answers among CBOs, religious organisations and other participants.
