Girl Child Day: UNFPA/State Govt Ends Female Genital Mutilation In Benue
Loading ...From Msughshima Andrew, Makurdi
The United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), State Programme Analyst, Mrs Victoria Egwor-Daaor has said that Female Genital Mutilation ( FGM) practised in some part of Benue had been successful put to an end.
Egwor-Daaor disclosed this during the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child, on Thursday, in Makurdi.
According to her, some Civil Society Organisations, Non Governmental Organization and State Government raised issues of FGM practices in some local governments in Benue.
Identifyiny the local governments as Obi, Ado and Oju, she noted tatUNFPA in partnership with Benue state government ensured the people in these areas ended the harmful practice.
“They were enlightened and educated on the dangers of FGM, Health care facilities were established for the people to access medical care. Community Health Workers were trained to ensure women and the girl child were not exposed to such dangers as FGM,” inequality.
FGM is a cultural practice rooted in attempts to control women’s sexuality under the guise of ensuring purity and modesty in women, which activists describe as the worst form of gender inequality.
She said FGM must be forbidden because there is no health benefit rather lot of problems are associated with it.
“It is only governments, other supportive groups and donors that can help to achieve zero tolerance in FMG practice by implementing and enforcing laws against such practice, just as it has been achived in Benue,”she said.
She however advised other unknown communities indulging in such practice to desist from it to restore dignity to humanity and to avail women opportunity to actualise the gain of womanhood.
Earlier, Mrs Ortom said issues of Women, Girls and the youth were prioritized in the state by the Ortom administration.
She said the various IDPs in Benue had established schools and entrepreneurial centres to ensure the hope of the Benue youth and women was not lost after the crises that left many displaced.
The event to commemorate the day was has the theme “Empower Girls: Before, During and After Conflicts” and was organized by the Eunice Spring of Life Foundation, (ESLF), a pet project of the wife of the Governor of Benue, Mrs Eunice Ortom.
