*says Nigeria alone contributes 10%
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Hacey Health Initiative has alerted that no fewer than 200 million women and girls have been victims of Female Genital Mutilation, (FGM) globally.
Raising the alarm in Ibadan at the weekend at a one day training tagged, “Stop Cut Project” for journalists and other concerned stakeholders on eradication of the FGM menace, Hacey Health Initiative Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Mr Emmanuel Oni said Nigeria alone is having 10 per cent of the 200 million.
According to Mr Oni, Female Genital Mutilation with its prevalence, is now constituting threat to national development, considering its negative impacts on the life of girls and women in the society.
He stressed that, “every year up to three million girls are at the risk of being mutilated globally, in Nigeria the prevalence of FGM is estimated at 15.1% among women is 8.2% in girls.”
The Hacey Health Initiative Monitoring and Evaluation Officer pointed out that there is the urgent need for all and sundry, particularly the stakeholders to join hands and get the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) totally wiped out.
” FGM is a criminal offence, hence there is a need for us to engage the media so that they can help in spreading the message to the people in order to stop the cut because its liable to both jail term and fine”, he said.
Mr Oni added, ” the practice of FGM poses threat to the survival, development and productivity of women and girls. It is a threat to National Development”
According to the Hacey Health Initiative Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, treatment of FGM complications cost 1.4 Billion USD per year globally and that “it is projected to rise to 2.3 Billion USD by the year 2047 if no action is taken.”
Speaking on the objective of the stop-cut project, he stressed that there is need for public knowledge about FGM and the need for its abandonment, saying this can be done by “providing education on laws and policies that protect women and girls from FGM advocacy for effective implementation of FGM laws and policies at all levels”
Addressing a joint press conference during the training, the Police Officer in charge of FGM, OC Funke Ayenigbara, Barrister Debora Collins, of Oyo State Ministry of Justice, Dr Ayo Alaga representative of Iyaloja and the market women society in the state, Mrs Balikis Olawoyin Oyo state Female Genital Mutilation Coordinator, NSCDC officer in charge of rape and FGM related cases, Mr. Afe Olurotimi called on media practitioners to take End FGM messages to the nooks and crannies of both urban and the rural areas.
