The Oyo State chapter of Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria, FOMWAN, in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund, UNFPA, and Center for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health, has held a sensitization campaign on gender based violence.
The program, which was held in Oyo town, was to educate major stakeholders on the dangers attributed to Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, which will in turn herald an end to it.
Speaking at the event, the Vice President of FOMWAN in Oyo State Alhaja Faoziyat Adeleye, noted that the program is in five stages, highlighting the areas of concentration.
Adeleye also noted that FOMWAN recognizes the pivotal roles all major stakeholders, such as security agencies, traditional rulers, Nigeria Correctional Center, among others, play in ensuring an end to the menace, hence the occasional lectures to bring them to speed on the dangers inherent in FGM.
She further explained that cutting of the reproductive organ of females, especially the girl-child is very dangerous and harmful to their health, adding that FOMWAN will not rest on its oars, until there is a reduction in, or total end to the barbaric practice.
Asked how often such campaigns would be held, she replied, It is organised when the sponsors discover an area where it is prevalent, that is when they call to mobilise people.”
She added, “It is in five stages; to mobilise people in
the community, to mobilise the leaders and then to mobilise different stakeholders in the community, then the consensus.”
She outlined that it also comprises of five stages in each community, and named the current three communities of interest to include; Koso, Aafin and Oke Olola, all in Atiba Local Government Area.
She enthused, “After lectures must have been held and awareness created, then the consensus for everybody to now agree that all concerned now have better understanding of the numerous disadvantages of female genital mutilation and pledge readiness to eradicate it.”
The Oyo FOMWAN Vice President also noted that during the lectures, law enforcement agencies would be involved and properly orientated in order to be able to handle such cases when presented to them.
Alhaja Adeleye restated that the campaigns are usually availed to all concerned, particularly those that still circumcise females.
Earlier, the representative of the Center for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health, who also doubles as the state Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Mr Ayelotan Oluwole Emmanuel, re-affirmed that there are no advantages convoluted in circumcising females.
He tagged the popular belief that FGM helps in reducing promiscuity in women as mere fallacy.
One of the attendees, Chief Oyedemi Oyelowo popularly called ‘Mogba Koso,’ who came from Koso town, lauded the initiative, and confirmed that the ills associates with the circumcision of females cannot be overemphasized.
Chief Oyelowo pointed out that he has over time discovered from experience that the practice induces complications during child birth, and hinders women who have gone under the knife from enjoy sexual intercourse, this creating problems in their matrimonial homes.
The event had in attendance, traditional leaders, law enforcement agencies and town-folks, who promised to contribute their quota towards ending female genital mutilation.
