OPENINING REMARKS AT 1-DAY STATE LEVEL – POLICY ADVOCACY DIALOGUE WITH PARLIAMENTARIANS, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AND SERVICES PROVIDERS ON TACKLING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM), CHILD MARRIAGE, AND OTHER FORMS OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE BY DR DARE OLAGOKE-ADARAMOYE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – TRAILBLAZER INITIATIVE NIGERIA ON THURSDAY, 27TH JULY, 2023
The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly – Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin; the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Mohammed Fadeyi, Honorable Members of the 10th Assembly, the Clerk of the House and Management of Staff of the Oyo State House of Assembly, the State Director of the National Orientation Agency, Oyo State Directorate, the Solicitor General – Oyo State Ministry of Justice, the Executive Secretary – Oyo State Primary Healthcare Board, the Director of Child Welfare – Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social inclusion, The UNICEF Child Protection Specialist – UNICEF Nigeria, Abuja; the Oyo State Coordinator – Child Protection Network, Staff of Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria here present, #Act2EndFGM Youth Activist, Political Aides of the House of Assembly members, Gentlemen of the press, Ladies and Gentlemen.
Permit me to use the medium to congratulate the fifteen members of the House on their re-election and seventeen newly elected members.
I stand here this morning to welcome you to this Policy Advocacy Dialogue on behalf of Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria and our funder – UNICEF Nigeria. We thank you for making out time from your busy schedule to attend this programme. This means so much to us and it is a rare privilege we wouldn’t take for granted.
The 2018 Nigeria Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) revealed that the National prevalence of FGM among women age 15-49 was 20%, while it was 31.1% in Oyo. Similarly, the National FGM Prevalence amongst 0-14years was 19.2%, while it was 8.2% in Oyo state. According to preliminary findings from the baseline Situation Assessment on FGM Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) study, which was conducted prior to the start of the UNIFPA/UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM in Oyo State in 2015, Kajola LGA had a 98% prevalence of FGM, while Ibarapa North had an 89.3% prevalence among women aged 15-49 years. Since 2018, there has been concerted efforts by government and development partners towards the elimination of FGM in Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East and Kajola LGAs.
In 2020, Oyo State government domesticated the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, in addition to two other laws that previously existed in the state, but unfortunately there has been low reportage of cases and zero prosecution. Despite concerted efforts to end FGM, the practice still persists and will need to be accelerated in order to meet the target of zero FGM cases by 2030.
In order to meet this target, UNICEF Nigeria is supporting Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria, a youth-led civil society organization in Oyo State, to mobilise 2,100 Youths in six communities in 3 LGAs (Ibarapa North (Ayete and Igangan), Ibarapa East (Eruwa & Lanlate) and Kajola(Gbonje and Ilero) to become agents of change through advocacy and reporting for the elimination of FGM, GBV, Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) and other harmful practices in the state. I also want to mention that in 2022, UNICEF supported Trailblazers Initiative carry out a project to end FGM in four communities in Iseyin LGA (Malete and Ekunle) and Kajola LGA (Ogan and Ayetoro-Oke).
Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria (TBI) kicked off activities with advocacy visit and Mapping of the six target communities – (Ibarapa East), (Ibarapa North) and (Kajola) LGAs to identify community-based youth groups and other natural groups in order through which they identifieding the 10 Youth Activists(6 Females & 4 Males)! Afterwards, theyse were engaged in 3-Day intensive training workshop to build their capacity on policy advocacy and reporting on the elimination of FGM, child marriage, GBV, VAWC and other harmful practices – from 31st January to 2nd February, 2023. The 10 Youth Activists also participated in a 1-day training on the documentation and collection of information on FGM, child marriage, GBV, VAWC and other harmful practices as well as writing stories, monitoring events and actions using creative formats). In order to further strengthen the capacity
As part of our community entry and project sustainability strategies, the Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria and Youth Activists conducted a 1-day advocacy dialogue/orientation meeting with influential (traditional, religious, legislators, influencers, etc.) leaders to get their buy-in and support for the implementation of the programme. A total of 192 religious and traditional leaders, local authorities, “Oloolas” and other decision-makers participated and they agreed to create an enabling environment for the elimination of these harmful practices. Likewise, we held policy advocacy session at the three focal Local Government Areas with Chairmen, LGA Councillors, Government Official, Academia, and other stakeholders. A total of 124 parliamentarians were engaged in the 3 the LGAs.
The Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria’s team and her Youth Activists conducted 1-day Orientation meetings with the executives (2 each) of the CBOs (youth & women) to create awareness on Movement for Good to end FGM, community surveillance on FGM, advocacy and reporting on elimination of FGM, child marriage, GBV and VAWC and developed an Action plan. A total of 72 persons (12 persons per community from CBOs (youth & women) from the 6 intervention communities) were engaged. These CBOs and Youth Activists are presently combining efforts to conduct Community outreach meetings to sensitize the members of groups in their community such as schools, markets, worship centres, health facilities, local events, as well as facilitating reflective dialogues on ending FGM, child marriage, GBV and VAWC and other harmful practices that affect girls and women at the regular meeting of natural community groups (social, religious, business, cultural, etc.) and promote M4Good.
So far, the Youth Activists and CBOs combined efforts has yielded the following results
- Over 100,000 people have been reached through community outreaches in House-to-House sensitization and reflective dialogues to end FGM other harmful practices have also pledged to act to end FGM and enrolled on the M4G Website.
- 991,489 people have been reached through social media engagements the 10 Youth activists have enrolled 2,093 Youths as Activists on the U-Report Platform.
Through today’s Policy Advocacy Dialogue, we hope to be able to deliberate and proffer solutions to the challenges hindering implementation and operationalization of the Oyo State VAPP Law 2020.
Let me use this medium to thank UNICEF Nigeria for believing in us. I thank the Oyo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Inclusion and Child Protection Network, Oyo State for their support and guidance. I also want to thank the Government of Oyo State, especially, the Legislators for enacting the VAPP Law, 2020.
We look forward to a fruitful engagement with you all.
God bless Nigeria! God Bless Oyo State.
Thank You.
