• Nigeria accounts for 10% of global burden
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, has called for a state of emergency to be declared on female genital mutilation (FGM), following alarming statistics that show Nigeria accounts for 10 per cent of the global burden of female genital mutilation with the highest prevalence in the country’s South-West states. Director, Press and Public Relations of the ministry, Olujimi Oyetomi, said she made the call at the Joint Ministerial Press Briefing event in commemoration of the zero-tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) held at the United Nations (UN) House, Abuja.
Tallen described the theme for the event: “Partnering with the men and boys to transform social and gender norms to end female genital mutilation #menendiFGM” as apt, “as we need more men to achieve the stated objective of the programme.”
According to Tallen, who described FGM as an extreme form of violence used on women and girls to change their genitalia for non-medical purposes, the practice violates the rights of women and girls.
She revealed that in the communities where FGM is practiced, a variety of justifications have been made for the procedure, including the belief that it is a necessary component of cultural and religious obligations, a means of boosting women’s fertility and reproductive capacity, as well as for the survival of the unborn child. She revealed that over 19.9 million women and girls have undergone FGM in Nigeria.
Tallen emphasised that combating FGM involves action on many levels, including families and communities. She added that it would also entail local and regional laws and political commitments, as well as the protection and care of women and girls. She promised that her Ministry will continue to advocate for laws to punish perpetrators of this unjust act; with the domestication of 2015 Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, partnering entertainment industry for change, creating women and girls offline and online platforms to build partners and agencies’ capacities.