UNFPA, CIRDDOC Lauds Ebonyi Communities For Ending FGM

By Nkechi Oginyi
UNFPA, and CIRDDOC Nigeria, Friday lauded Ebonyi state commitment towards ending FGM.
It urged communities in the state to always report the perpetrators of the phenomenon in their localities to appropriate quarters to stop the practice the way the killing of twins was stopped in the past.
They made the call during a program on FGM Elimination organized by CIRDDOC Nigeria with support from UNFPA called Accelerating Change, Consensus Building meeting on FGM elimination.
A Total of eleven communities participated in the consensus-building program held at community primary school Ogbala Ishieke, Ebonyi local government of the state.
Onyinye Okah, Executive Secretary CIRDDOC Nigeria said “we are organizing this consensus meeting on FGM abandonment with support from the United Nations population fund. The main objective of this consensus building is to get these communities that are here to on their own publicly accept the abandonment of female genital mutilation.
” in this year 2021, we have been carrying out series of activities in this Ebonyi starting from May it is believed that now they know the consequences of female genital mutilation, we are not coercing them, we are not forcing them but they have agreed to publicly declare the abandonment of FGM.
The CIRDDOC Secretary, called on community leaders to bring up a by-law to enforce #end the practice adding that dialogue and more sensitization could help to stop the practice which may still be taking place in a few of the communities in the hinterland.
CIRDDOC decried that lack of sustainability on the government side is affecting the implementation of campaigns against FGM and other gender-based violence but urged the communities not to relent rather continue monitoring and community sensitization as it is for their good.
“On the sustainability plan, we are encouraging the community leaders to support those that are willing to work because if those that are working have the support of the community leaders they will achieve a good result.
She emphasized that sustainability was very important for achieving good results.
In a remarks, UNFPA Program Support Officer,  Mr. Benedict Essong on behalf of UNFPA,  appreciated the community leaders and members for their participation, commitment, and efforts towards ending FGM in the communitiesand assured of UNFPA support to ending the harmful practices.
“At UNFPA, we continue to set our sights upon three ambitious aims for 2030, as elaborated in our vision for our forthcoming Strategic Plan 2022-2025:

Picture; the community members in the community dialogue to end FGM

“Zero unmet need for family planning,Zero preventable maternal deaths, andZero violence and harmful practices against women and girls, including an end to child marriage and female genital mutilation”.
The representative of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Barr. (Mrs.) Virginia  Nweze commended CIRDDOC and UNFPA for their relentless efforts in ensuring the eradication of FGM in Ebonyi State. 
Mrs. Nweze added that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) does not have any health benefit but has left many families in pain. She shared her personal experience as an FGM survivor and stated that she is still living with the health complications as a result of the mutilation.
she urged stakeholders to join hands to end the barbaric act and save women and girls. 
The traditional ruler of Nkaleke Echara Ndiebo autonomous community, HRH Eze Pius Akam-Alo welcomed participants and regretted that people still indulge in the practice of FGM secretly.
Eze Akam-Alo appealed to the community members to intensify sensitization and educate people on the existing laws.
Participants in the program, Mr. Okah Paulinus, a village leader from the Onuenyim community, and Mrs. Omogo Chinedu said the government should reintroduce a community surveillance team on FGM as it was done during the previous government under the MCCI program of Mrs. Josephine Elechi. Mobilize them with motorcycles for community sensitization.
To the perpetrators, they advocated that communities should raise and provide solutions to the practice by engaging, empowering the FGM perpetrators in what they will be doing to earn a living. “In my community, the PTA employed them as cleaners in our community school and the community is paying them. You can’t just push them away empower them as we did through PTA”.

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FGM contravenes right to freedom from torture, inhuman treatment- UNFPA

By Abah Nnanna

The Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) with support from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) under a joint program on female genital mutilation (FGM) has organized a Consensus Building Meeting on the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Imo State southeast Nigeria.

Participants were drawn from thirteen communities in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of the state.

The meeting was organized amidst the Covid 19 protocol.

The consensus-building meeting was aimed at engaging community leaders and religious leaders to voluntarily accept to publicly declare the abandonment of FGM.

The Executive Secretary of CIRDDOC Onyinye Okaah while addressing participants at the meeting, condemned the barbaric act which endangers the lives of women and girls.

According to her, FGM contravenes the right to freedom from torture and inhuman treatment. She highlighted the dangers associated with the practice and enjoined stakeholders to desist from the act.

The representative of the Imo State Ministry of Health Mr. Ikechukwu Amagwula thanked CIRDDOC and UNFPA for their collaborative efforts to end the practice of FGM in Imo State.

And commended the stakeholders for embracing the opportunity to gather more knowledge on harmful practices against women and girls and stop it.

Mr. Amagwula acknowledged the consequences of FGM including causing women to bleed to death, depriving t&em, sexual urge thereby bring problems to the family, exposure to infectious diseases, and advised participants to ensure the elimination of all forms of Gender-Based Violence including FGM Is embraced in the area.

Mr. George Amakihe of Imo state Ministry of Finance and Economic Development on his part commended the organizers for the timely intervention which aims at enhancing the well-being of the people of Imo state and Ohaji Egbema to be precise.

Correspondent reports that with the development, CIRDDOC with support from UNFPA will organize a public declaration on the elimination of FGM for the thirteen communities.

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Spotlight: Child Marriage, FGM Now forbidden In Izzi Land

Nkechinyere Oginyi

A traditional leader in the Izzi council area of Ebonyi state, HRH Eze Boniface Nwoba, Friday, September 24th, said that gender-based violence such as child marriage, and female genital mutilation practices are now forbidden in Izzi Nnodo, adding that anyone caught in the act will be prosecuted according to the community bylaw against gender-based violence.

He made this known during mobilization and sensitization for traditional leaders on the elimination of Harmful Social Norms around GBV, Child Marriage, and FGM in Ebonyi an event organized by the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Center (CIRDDOC) with support from the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative.

The Executive Secretary of CIRDDOC, Onyinye Okaah in her presentation said harmful practices pertain ill to behaviors and practices which are harmful to people’s physical and mental health. It is also against the rights of people to live free from harm, oppression, discrimination, and violence.

That it was in a bid to eliminate these practices, that the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) with support from the EU – UN Spotlight Initiative project organized community mobilization and sensitization for traditional leaders on the elimination of harmful social norms around GBV, Child Marriage and FGM.

The intervention which was carried out in four batches witnessed participants from twelve selected communities in four LGAs of Ebonyi state.

Representative of UNFPA, and Project support officer spotlight initiative in Ebonyi Mr. Benedict Essong thanked the community members for availing CIRDDOC the opportunity to interact with them.

He pointed out that the t EU – UN Spotlight Initiative aims at building a society where women and girls can effectively communicate with their male counterparts without discrimination and violence. Mr. Essong urged participants to join hands together to achieve this ultimate goal thereby ensuring that the rights of women and girls are protected.

Representatives of the Ebonyi State Ministry of Education, Mrs. Cecilia Nkama said that gender-based violence is a practice that must be stopped and added that all hands should be on deck to ensure that the lives of our loved ones are preserved. Mrs. Nkama thereafter reiterated the purpose of the community mobilization which is to strategize on the effective ways of ending all forms of violence against women and girls.

Chief Okorie Eugene Sunday, the Traditional Prime Minister of Igboeze Onicha community in Onicha LGA, commended CIRDDOC and the EU–UN Spotlight Initiative for carrying out the intervention. He assured participants that the traditional ruler’s council will work with CIRDDOC to achieve the goal of the project.

On his part, the traditional prime minister of the Okposi community, Chief Irema Israel Ogbonna commended the CIRDDOC team for their relentless efforts in ensuring the elimination of all practices that work against the well-being of women and girls. He assured the team of their support for the successful completion of the project.

Comrade Edigwe Alphonsus of Amana autonomous community in Ezza South LGA condemned the high prevalence rate of child marriage in their area and stated that the intervention was timely. He pledged to use his position in the community to sensitize people on the dangers of harmful practices.

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