Two local governments in Imo State have commended United Nations Children’s Education Fund(UNICEF) for its efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM) in their various communities saying the previous death toll was high in the communities as an outcome of infectious blades.
Residents of these communities in the council areas were full of praise for the agencies in the fight against female genital mutilation in their various localities.
The Nation reports that UNICEF and her development partners; the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Imo State, and the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State (BCA) had embarked on a field mission to document and report the current situation and progress being made to end FGM practice in affected communities in Imo State.
In Owerri West Local Government Area, the President General of the Ohii community, Uzochukwu Azuatalam who spoke on behalf of the traditional ruler, HRH Eze Enwere Uzoh said the impact made so far by UNICEF and NOA for sustaining the fight against FGM was very commendable.
He also noted that the progress would not have been possible without his people adhering to the zero tolerance of FGM.
We commend UNICEF for their efforts in sustaining the fight against the scourge, they tried, they spent money and the message sank. I encourage other communities that have not embraced practice to do so for the good of their children.”
“We have told our people in Ohii the danger in mutilating female genitals and the message sank in and I don’t think they practice it in our community anymore.”
He, however, assured that his people would continue to adhere to UNICEF sensitization but regretted that only a few are still believing that hand-pressing does not mean mutilation.
“I cannot say that 100 per cent are compliant, only a few still feel that hand-pressing does not mean mutilation, but we are still preaching to them and I believe very soon everybody will comply with the practice,” he stated.
Mrs Helen Odor, a woman leader from Owerri Municipal Council told the field Officers that the compliance in her community was total considering the measures the women’s group had taken in their area.
According to her, we spread the message that any mother who cut the clitoris of her daughter has sinned God who created it and we have to preach to the mothers especially not to touch it either by cutting or pressing.”
A high chief of the council, Nze Henry Ogoma noted that the sensitization of zero tolerance of female genital mutilation in his community has been welcomed and his people are observing it.
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He also noted that before the intervention of UNICEF FGM had killed so many babies in their community as a result of the infectious Razer blade that was used to mutilate the clitoris.
He expressed happiness that since the message came to his community to stop the practice there is no more recorded death due to infection.
“Since the message came to our community and the follow-up by the agencies, we in the eye’s cabinet made it so that every household is being monitored especially the pregnant women, their women-folks make sure they supervise them when the child is born they know the sex of the baby. If a baby girl is born, the women also monitor to ensure that zero tolerance of genital mutilation is followed,” he said.
The Nation reports that in 2003, the United Nations declared February 6th of every year as “The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. The date has since been celebrated under the need to stem awareness and campaigns with aim of ending this harmful practice.
UNICEF partners with the media in ensuring massive public awareness is created, this year in line with UNICEF’s visibility and communication plans,
UNICEF Communication Officer of Enugu Field Office, Dr Ijeoma Onuoha-Ogwe told journalists that “we are engaging the media in two affected states of southeastern Nigeria (Imo and Ebonyi) as front liners and to embark on a one-day field mission to highlight the current situation in the affected areas.”
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