Earlier today, the team at Trailblazer Initiative Nigeria paid a strategic advocacy visit to the Legal Aid Council, Oyo State, as part of our ongoing efforts to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and secure justice for survivors.
The objectives of the visit were to:
🔹 Share community-level findings on FGM practices
🔹 Seek the Council’s support in providing survivor-centered legal representation
🔹 Ensure protection for whistleblowers and victims seeking justice
Our Executive Director, Dr. Dare Olagoke-Adaramoye, commended the Council for their unwavering commitment to providing legal services to the indigent. He highlighted that, despite years of community sensitization by NGOs like ours and support from international partners such as UNICEF and UNFPA, FGM remains underreported in Oyo State with zero convictions recorded. This, he noted, emboldens perpetrators and discourages victims from speaking up.
He appealed to the Legal Aid Council to collaborate with TBI in providing free legal services to FGM survivors who seek justice but lack resources. He also emphasized the need for survivor protection to encourage community-level reporting.
Responding, Barr. Rukayyah Augie Odeyale, the State Coordinator of the Legal Aid Council, applauded TBI’s work in championing women and girls’ rights. She expressed surprise that the practice of FGM still persists and assured the team of the Council’s readiness to support legal actions against perpetrators while protecting survivors’ identities.
Together, we are committed to building a future free from violence and harmful traditional practices.
