By Hassan Zaggi
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has insisted that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has no medical or health benefits, hence, should be stopped.
The UNFPA Country Representative in Nigeria, Ms Ulla Mueller, stated this at a sensitization campaign on the dangers of the FGM in Abuja, Thursday.
She reiterated that FGM is a human rights violation, hence, governments at all levels must join forces to stop it.
Ms Mueller, therefore, called for support from all well-meaning Nigerians, opinion, religious and traditional leaders to end the evil practice and save the girl-child from danger.
“Female genital mutilation is a human rights violation. There is no medical or health justification for it. It has to stop,” she stressed.
Responding to questions from our Correspondents, Mrs Bridget Bala who participated in the awareness campaign expressed concern over what she described as ‘evil’ done against the girl-child.
According to her, most of those who engage in the cutting of the female genitals are women who are supposed to protect the girl-child because of the enormous pain they are subjected to in the process.
“How can a woman who should know that the process involve is very painful, subject an innocent girl to such a gruesome, heartless and dangerous act. This is not acceptable, it must be stopped. The girl-child should be allowed to live her life the way God created her.
“I call on the government, community, religious and traditional leaders to raise their voices against the practice as it does not have any known benefit either medically or health wise.”
The awareness campaign which was held at the popular and densely populated Wuse market in Abuja, was part of the commemoration for the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM.
The awareness campaign was spiced by Flash Mob event which is a choreography mix of hip-hop, afro/Naija dance, and drama styles aimed at sensitizing and engaging the audience on the dangers, misconceptions, and long term consequences while highlighting the different roles Nigerians can play in ending FGM.
