The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), government officials, media and civil society groups have renewed those called at the end of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria, describing practice as a serious violation of women and girls’ rights.
Speaking in a dialogue of interested parties, the head of the Unicef ​​Lagos field office, Celine Lacourciere, said the FGM is still “urgent and attainable” to eliminate.
“Female genital mutilation is never an option. It is a violation inflicted on women and girls. Almost 20 million women and girls in Nigeria have suffered a MGF, classifying the country the highest third worldwide.
“Most of them were cut before their fifth birthday, when they were helpless and unable to consent. No culture or custom should come at the expense of girls’ rights,” Lacourciere insisted.
He stressed that despite being prohibited, practice persists in many communities due to myths and traditions, which he described as “harmful and dangerous.”
“No culture or custom must reach the expense of the health of girls, rights or their future. The good news is that the change is possible and the change is occurring through collaboration and initiatives such as the movement for good, which is directed by the federal government of Nigeria in collaboration with UNICEF,” he added.
He pointed out that the positive change is already visible through initiatives such as the movement for good, directed by the federal government in association with UNICEF.
Speaking about the fundamental role of the media, the permanent secretary of the state of Oyo, the Ministry of Information, Rotimi Babalola, emphasized the need for media professionals to increase their role in raising awareness and molding public opinion.
He said: “The media are very critical because it establishes the agenda for society to continue. We need to put an additional effort in this campaign so that, in all states covered by UNICEF, we totally eliminate the MGF,”
Babalola urged journalists to inform with sensitivity, avoiding sensational coverage that could traumatize survivors, while educating the public and holds interested parties.
The Specialist in Child Protection, the UNICEF Lagos office, Denis Onoise, by identifying the negative impacts of the MGF on girls and women, said that all cultural and community myths and wrong concepts on the threat should be dismantled.
“The FGM has serious implications for the sexual and reproductive brezal of girls and women,” he said.
In it, an FGM consultancy, Mrs. Adersonke Olutayo advocated the need for greater awareness and awareness of existing laws against practice and their application by government agencies.
Olutayo, noticing the crucial roles that media practitioners interpret to eradicate the threat, said that more men should be committed as champions of the elimination of the MGG.
The Balm program manager at the Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (Bigif), Nelson Akerele, added that intersectoral collaboration remains crucial to achieve the elimination objective.
While asking for an active action of the media professional, Akerele identified five ways in which the media can strengthen the MGF campaign that include follow -up cases and responsible for service carriers.
The use of research journalism to expose cutters and doctors implies supporting survivors with positive and hopeful narratives, educating the public to dissipate erroneous myths and concepts and developing sensitive stories to the genre that protect survivors from more damage.
However, interested parties resolved to intensify awareness campaigns in all UNICEF intervention states, emphasizing that no cultural practice should endanger the health and future of Nigerian girls.
Also read the main stories of Nigerian Tribune
Watch the best Nigerian Tribune TV videos