By Adeyinka Adeniran
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)in collaboration with the Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH), commemorates the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM 2024 at the Jericho Nursing Home.
The programme themed ‘Her Voice, Her Future: Investing in Survivor Led Movement to End FGM’ is aimed at encouraging survivors of FGM to speak up to further enhance the fight against FGM in Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
Speaking on the role of the Jericho Nursing home Ibadan in the fight to end FGM, the CMD Jericho Nursing Home, Dr. Bashir Kasika said “we have the sexual assault referral centre here and we all understand that it covers every sexual related issues including FGM.”
Dr Kasika further thanked UNFPA and CCPRH for holding the event at the nursing home, according to him, “our doors will always be remain open to you and every survivor whenever you are in need of us.”
Representative of UNFPA Madam Uzoma Ayodeji on the agency’s clamour for FGM, according to her “more than 200M women have undergone FGM and 4.4M women and girls will be at risk if efforts aren’t intensified. UNFPA is putting in more effort to ensure the prevalent rate in Oyo state will decline further.”
“This year’s theme is investing in survival led movement to amplify the voice against FGM. We want to ensure that this shame is removed from the faces of women and girls” she said.
Giving goodwill messages, representative of the Oyo State Primary Health care board, Dr. J.O Osoko thanked UNFPA and CCPRH for today’s event, according to him “female who have witnessed these practices have a voice that someone must hear, and this is a collective assignment that all must do to save mutilated girls but we must do better to put an end to it and that’s why the primary health care board is standing to support partners to put an end to this crime against humanity.”
Mr. Ibilade from women affairs appreciates all concerned stakeholders involved in ending the harmful practices of FGM because “it is demonic in nature.”
He thanked God for the good result so far and believes it will come to an end. “FGM affects women physically, spiritually and emotionally sentencing them to not being married” He said.
He therefore call on everyone to encourage people to speak out. “if you see something, say something” he believes the coming generation won’t forgive us for our silence hence its important to speak out. He said “the ministry’s door is open for collaborations.”
Director, Centre for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health Prof. Oladosu Ojengbede believes more importance should be placed on survivors. According to him “it is the voice of the survivors that people want to hear for the benefit of people yet unborn. The effect of preventing FGM is part of the motivation we have to continue to do the work we are doing.”
Speaking on further steps Prof. Ojengbede said “It is not just to talk about it at a point in time and it ends, I hope today will be another day to reeducate the mind to support the movement against FGM”.
The desk officers for FGM at the primary health care board, Mrs Balkis Olawoyin said they are working hard and the Oyo State Government needs to be appreciated. According her, “the survivors are more than this in number but for them to summon courage to speak up, they need to be applauded. We need to invest in survivor led movement to end FGM. It is the turn of survivors to collaborate and share their experiences so others can take them more serious.”
FGM survivor, Ms. Adekanmi Aderonke appreciates the stakeholders on behalf of survivors. she also thanked the staff for making it easy for everyone of them to come out. According to her” I’m married and I became an introvert because I have been ashamed. I was able to get rid of the issue on the first of February because of the support of UNFPA, CCPRH and the state government for free”. She hopes it can be made national and allow the rural dwellers benefit from this help.
Present at the event are officials of the state ministry of health, state primary health care board, ministry of education, ministry of justice, law enforcement, NAWOJ, FOMWAN, other CSOs and media practitioners.
