Ekiti Reaffirms Commitment to Ending Female Genital Mutilation

The Ekiti State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and gender-based violence across the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Mrs Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, made this known during the FGM State Technical Committee quarterly meeting held in Ado Ekiti.

Gbenga-Igotun charged members of the committee and other stakeholders to ensure that girls and young women are protected from the menace of gender-based violence and assault.

She noted that female genital mutilation has no health benefits, adding that it is internationally recognised as a violation of human rights due to its harmful effects.

The permanent secretary warned perpetrators of the practice to desist, stressing that efforts were ongoing to name, shame and prosecute anyone found culpable.

In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Olusola Femi-Adeluyi, called on relevant authorities to intensify campaigns against FGM in churches, mosques, community meetings and other social gatherings.

Femi-Adeluyi said this would ensure that the message was well articulated and widely disseminated across the state.

Contributing at the meeting, the representative of the United Nations Population Fund, (UNFPA) Mrs Ayodeji Uzoma urged the government and relevant institutions to engage traditional institutions for adequate sensitization on  eradication of the practices at the grassroot. 

Also speaking, the State Gender Officer, Mrs Dupe Amodu, said the practice had continued to cause severe health consequences, including lifelong physical, psychological and sexual harm to victims.

Amodu added that excessive bleeding from mutilation could lead to chronic infections, complications during childbirth and increased risk of infant mortality.

Other members of the committee called for more concerted efforts from stakeholders, particularly through the media, to enhance awareness and sensitisation campaigns aimed at eradicating the practice in Ekiti State.