By Akintunde Jacobs, Akure
Gender Frontier Development Initiatives (GFDI), has appealed to all stakeholders in Ondo state to step up campaign on awareness creation and sensitisation of the society to ensure zero tolerance in the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Popoola Gabriel Gbenga, a member of the Initiatives, made the appeal during a campaign in Ondo town on the Female Genital Mutilation.
“We are also ensuring that this campaign also reaches the schools, the town criers at the local levels,” Popoola said.
He explained that all investigations proved that FGM has no benefit to the women and young girls.
Popoola maintained that girls who undergo female genital mutilation face-term complications such as sever pains, shock, excessive bleeding, infections and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.
According to him, FGM comprises all the procedure that involved altering or injuring the female genitalia for non medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and integrity of girls and women.
“We urge stakeholders to accelerate steps towards stopping this practice, by adopting coordinate and systematic efforts, promoting polices and positive actions leading to the elimination of female genital mutilation, while engaging communities with focus on human rights, gender equality, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences,” he said.
He, however, described Female Genital Mutilation as a human right violation against girls and women, a harmful practice which has severe health consequence on women.
“FGM exposes its victims to HIV and other health implications ranging from dangerous infections arising from unsanitary conditions severe bleeding, as well as pain and trauma, with mutilated infants, girls and women facing irreversible lifelong health risks among other consequences,” he added.
He called for coordinated and systematic efforts to engage communities and focus on human right, gender equality.