15 communities in Ikole Local Government areas of Ekiti State have made public declaration of Female Genital Mutilation (FGN) abandonment
The communities took the courageous decision and attained historic feat after intense campaigns and sensitisation by a Non-Government Organisation, New Generation Girls Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD),with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The Communities included Itapaji, Temidire, Odo-Oro, Ipao, Oke-Ijebu, Asin, Odo, Isaba, Igbona, ikurin, Odo-Ayedun, Oke Ayedun, Ilaro, Esun, and Ijowa, all in Ikole.
Speaking at the event ,the representive of UNFPA, Southwest Zone, Uzoma Ayodeji, said the purpose of the declaration was to enable all Residents in the Local Government aware of the harmful practice and for the perpetrators to bury their blades under the sheaths.
“15 communities came together in IKOLE LGA to publicly declare the abandonment of FGM in their communities.
“We have been working with the leaders of the community, the Traditional Rulers, market women leaders. We even trained Community based Organisation in the community. We have actually been training them to be champions and they have been the ones advocating against FGM.
“We sensitized the people using door-to-door approach. Today is a public declaration ceremony, all the community leaders came together with their people to witness the historic occasion .
“They were given certificates and signages which they would mount at the beginning of the community to show that they have declared abandonment.”
According to her three champions were drawn from each Community to monitor, track and report possible cases of FGM in the 15 Communities.
“The establishment of the surveillance team is to monitor, track and prevent cases of FGM. We are training 3 people per Community from the 15 communities that declared abandonment.
“They will go from time to time to ensure that the practice is no longer in action.”
In her remarks the Yeye Ewi, Olori Obinrin of Esun, Funmilayo Ojo hailed the Organisers for the sensitisation programmes, adding that it would a tremendous victory if FGM is totally eradicated across Nigeria.
Another participant, Chief Bamidele Samson from Ipao stressed on the importance of the training, stressing that FGM will be eradicated if all hands are on deck.