Stakeholders have been called upon to contribute to the end of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by 2030 through accelerated collective and multisectoral actions by mobilising a broad spectrum of actors at community, national, regional and global level.
Nelson Akerele, the Programme Manager, Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF), while speaking at a one-day workshop on Wednesday in Akure, organised by the organisation in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Movement for Good to End FGM and Ondo State Ministry of Women Affairs, said the essence of the workshop was to foster collaboration and develop a common framework among Government institutions towards accelerate actions to end female genital mutilation in Ondo State.
Akerele maintained that the workshop would also strengthen the capacity of participants on ethical standards and survivor centered principles in documenting and sharing sensitive stories.
Olufunmilayo Adejumo, the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Justice, who spoke on behalf of State Government said the genital mutilation or circumcision of the girl child female genital or woman is hereby prohibited in Ondo State.
According to her, a person or persons caught in such act should be reported to nearest Government health authorities, centres for credible examination or report and thereafter to the law enforcement agencies for prosecution.
Adejumo said; “That is why we have the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Law, and the law was adopted or domesticated, so that we could bring an end to female genital mutilation in our dear state.
“You know, most of these things are done when a child is a baby, and it is done by the parents. So when the child grows up and they now realise that, I don’t have feelings while having sexual intercourse
“That is why the state government is saying that it is violence against persons. Whether we like it or not, it is violence. The state government has been going to churches, mosques, and other places, talking to our people, orientating and educating them so that this act will be stopped in our society.”
Godwin Dalu, Country Representative (UNICEF), Nigeria, Godwin Dalu, said all hands must be on deck towards taking the fight against the female genital mutilation to the communities.
“Whatever we are doing towards accelerating action, let’s target prevention towards the elimination of female genital mutilation. That is why for UNICEF we encourage states to work with the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Local Government, to go down to the communities,” Dalu said.
In her presentation on reporting GBV/FGM documentation and key messaging as well as ethical survivor-centred storytelling, a seasoned journalist, Olufisoye Adenitan, admonished media professionals to prioritise a survivor-centered approach, ensuring stories are crafted with empathy, dignity, and respect, and avoid sensationalism or graphic details that could re-traumatise survivors.
She also suggested a solution-driven approach focusing on amplifying survivors’ voices, with their informed consent, and adherence to ethical storytelling through fact checks and credible sources, such as local NGOs or health organisations.
Adenitan urged journalists to use data to drive conversation on GBV/FGM stories to make it evident based.
