A Non-Governmental Organization, HACEY, has hinted that over 200 million women and girls were being mutilated globally, while Nigeria accounts for 10 per cent of the number.
Speaking at HACEY’s Community Gatekeepers Training Workshop in Osogbo, Osun State on empowering Communities to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the Programme Manager of the Organization, Oluwatomi Olunuga, noted that the programme was put together by Hacey in collaboration with Access Corporation.
The workshop with over 50 participants tagged reporting female genital mutilation, afforded the community gatekeepers the opportunity to deliberate on how to end female genital mutilation through adequate reporting of the heinous act.
She noted that findings also revealed that the highest prevalence of FGM with 32 per cent was in the South East followed by the South West with 30 per cent.
Olunuga emphasized that the national prevalence of FGM among women aged 15 to 49 dropped from 25 per cent to 20 per cent in 2018, but the prevalence among girls aged 0-14 increased from 16.9 per cent to 19.2 per cent.
She recalled that nearly three million women have undergone FGM in states such as Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo, Osun as well as Oyo.
Speaking further Olunuga described female genital mutilation as a harmful act against womanhood that should be discouraged outrightly.
According to her, the workshop on reporting female genital mutilation is being held in three African countries including Gambia, Kenya and Nigeria.
Speaking in the same vein, the Programme Officer, Tomilola Akinpelu, explained that apart from the workshop, stakeholders and community leaders have been involved in the move to eradicate female genital mutilation.
Akinpelu stressed that the workshop was a vital step in strengthening the capacity of community leaders and gatekeepers to protect women and girls from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through awareness, reporting and community support.
She noted that the workshop training focused on educating community gatekeepers on the dangers and legal implications of FGM, Promoting effective reporting structures for FGM cases, strengthening skills to protect women and girls at risk and building a network of advocates equipped to support FGM survivors.
At the workshop, the community gatekeepers suggested the provision of underground informants, protection of the informants’ identity, and continuous campaign against female genital mutilation as some of the ways to end the menace.
Others are education, spreading information through religious leadership, opinion leaders, advocacy visits, encouragement and incentives.
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