End Female Genital Mutilation- NAWOJ
Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Association of women Journalists, NAWOJ has called on the society to end
Female Genital Mutilation.
This prompting came on the heels of the 2021 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
Tagged : “No Time for Global Inaction: United, Fund, and Act to End Female Genital Mutilation’.
Speaking via a zoom conference with four guests , Chairperson, NAWOJ Lagos State chapter, Comrade Adeola Ekine said it became imperative to call for the end of this barbaric act and to ensure that more people are enlightened on the danger associated with it.
She also called on members to give prominence to stories on FGM and other issues relating to women and girls in their reportage as a way to also help push for gender friendly policies, strong health institutions and bring offenders to book in the country.
Speaker after speaker highlighted severe pain, excessive bleeding, mental health problem , incontinence as some health problems associated with FGM.
Earlier, Costly Abosede Aderibigbe shared her personal experience as a survivor and how she was able to pass through the phase to become an advocate in Osun state.
Dr. Oluwatosin Somefun, another guest who had worked in Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Imo, Rivers, and Bayelsa states on Sexual and Reproductive health issues said 20 percent of women from age 15 to 49 have gone through the pain of mutilation. She also emphasized that women who had gone through these should be seen as survivors and not victims.
Dr. Somefun also advised the media to always speak up on these issues to curb the menace which most times lead to the death of young girls. According to her, the media should use their “pen and voice to ask people to be accountable”. There should be naming and shaming for the perpetrators of the act. While
encouraging NAWOJ to support and partner with UNFPA in other areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health.
The guests were drawn from some of the states with high rate of FGM-
Osun, Oyo and Ebonyi including Alhaja Sururah Oyero; anti FGM advocate, Costly Abosede Aderibigbe; a survivor and advocate, Dr. Oluwatosin Somefun; gender/RH analyst with UNFPA and Mrs. Mary Jane Ikechukwu-Nwobodo, Director, Reproductive Health, Ebonyi State Ministry of Health.