Osun state ranks highest in FGM on HWN SPOTLIGHT

The representative of the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), Mrs Ratidzai Ndhlovu, has disclosed that Osun State topped states in the practice of female genital mutilation in Nigeria and reiterated the urgent need to end the practice.

Mrs Ndhlovu said this while speaking during a meeting organised by‎ the UNFPA in collaboration with the Shericare Foundation (SCARF), the pet project of wife of the Osun State Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola.
 According to the UNFPA official, “the prevalence of female genital mutilations in Osun State stands at 76.6 per cent, followed by Ondo State which is 74.

She lamented that 8,000 girls are mutilated daily, while 85 million girls born between 2000 and 2010 are at risk of mutilation. She noted that the event was taking place in Osun because FGM practice was common in the state.

Mrs Aregbesola, who described female genital mutilation as “primitive”, said the situation has become “very worrisome.” She promised that all hands would be on deck to ensure that the practice was eradicated in Osun, saying Nigeria has extant national policies and laws banning female genital mutilation which would be enforced in Osun State to eradicate the practice.

Gov Aregbesola decried the prevalence of the practice in Osun andother states. He commended the former President, Dr Goodluck
Jonathan, for signing the bill on female genital mutilation into law on May 5, 2015.

Everybody must work hard to ensure that the practice is done away with. Besides the damage it has done to women, FGM has created health challenges like acute urinary retention, while child birth is affected. Moreover, infection and many other complications are among the many consequences the of the FGM practice,” he said.

Source: DailyTrust, HWN Africa.