Rivers Govt, UNFPA, UNICEF Demand End to Female Genital Mutilation 

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt 

Rivers State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Child Education Fund (UNICEF) are demanding an end to the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the State.

The demand was made yesterday, at the end of a 3-day training of community facilitators on Implementation of the Movement for Good to End Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) organised in Port Harcourt, by the State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme.

Speaking at the event, the UNICEF Chief Field Officer, Port Harcourt, Dr. Anslem Audu, explained that the idea for the training was to build the capacity of women who will get down to the communities and sensitise the people on the danger of genital mutilation on the female child.

Audu, who noted that the practice was harmful to the victims, said UNICEF and its partners are working hard to ensure the eradication of such practice, especially in the rural areas of the State.

He said: “What we are doing is to build a capacity of community women to be able to carry this message down to the community level. We are building the capacity of 60 facilitators, and they will be armed with the instrument to go back to their community to pass the message to end female Genital Mutilation.

“It is a harmful practice, that people have somehow accepted as a culture. As UNICEF and other partners, we are trying to enlighten them that this is a harmful practice that should not be done, and no girl or woman should suffer female Genital Mutilation. What we are doing is an effort towards eradicating female Genital Mutilation.”

 The UNICEF Chief Field Officer, who noted that FGM was evil, expressed that the practice will soon be eradicated in the State.

“By the grace of God, in the year 2030, this female Genital Mutilation should finally be eradicated in the whole of Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole.

“When you mutilate a woman, that sexual feeling, you are trying to remove it from her and naturally, every woman deserves to have that sexual feeling and orgasm. A woman who does not have sexual orgasm will not feel satisfied and because she is not satisfied, somebody that does not feel satisfaction and sex may think it is the husband that is not providing that satisfaction.

“Meanwhile, it is an anatomical structure that deprives her of that orgasm and this may even expose her to more promiscuity and other things associated with it.”

He also stated that the practice was a social vice that needs to be eradicate, adding that “that is why as UNICEF, UNFPA and then in collaboration with the ministry, we are to eliminate female Genital Mutilation.”

Audu however, advised indigenes and residents of the State, especially parents not to subject their girl child to female Genital Mutilation, “because it is a harmful practice”.

Also speaking, Permanent Secretary, Minister of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Rivers State, Prof Justina Jumbo disclosed that participants at the training programme were selected from four local government areas, including; Abua, Ahoada East, Ahoada West and Emuoha.

“We also used the opportunity to talk about gender based violence, adolescent reproductive health, and all other female reproductive health issues. It is a total package. 

“At this first phase, we are starting with four LGAs. It’s on female Genital Mutilation as it has been an evil practice that has been going on within our communities in the State. Although we have been talking about it, but it still continued. It’s due to the cultural beliefs and ignorance.”