Worried by the prevalence of Female Genital
Mutilation/Cutting, FGMC in Nigeria especially in the
Southwest, stakeholders last week at two different
workshops in Osogbo and Ilupeju met to discuss the
situation. The issue of female circumcision which
has been an age long tradition has for sometimes
been a serious concern to the government and
health practitioners but took a centre stage in the
administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Jonathan had signed into law the stoppage of the
traditional practice. The wife of Osun State governor
and the initiator of Sherif Care Foundation, SCARF,
Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola gathered some state
governors’ wives and Unicef representatives in
Osogbo where the matter was thoroughly discussed.
While the workshop in Osogbo was going on,
journalists from Ekiti, Osun and Oyo states were at
Ilupeju in Ekiti State for training on how to end the
practice through public sensitisation and
enlightenment against FGMC. The United Nations
International Children’s Fund UNICEF, health experts
and media practitioners at the workshop appealed
to Nigerians to desist from the practice, saying it is
harmful and deadly.
A representative of UNICEF, Mrs. Roseleen Akinroye,
said the practice should be stopped because it leads
to life threatening experience for women during
childbirth. She condemned some medical
professionals who engage in the practice, saying it
is unacceptable. Akinroye, who is a Child Protection
Specialist, said: “This harmful practice is
unacceptable and should not be encouraged by
anybody under any guise.
Friday, 20 November 2015
First ladies lead campaign against female genital mutilation
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