Expert Canvasses Global Strategy, Against Female Genital Mutilation 

The Director Centre for Population and Reproductive Health, Professor Oladosu Ojengbede has disclosed that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) affected at least 200 million women and girls worldwide, as he emphasised the need to eliminate GBV worldwide through what he called a global strategy against FGM.

Prof Ojengbede made this known in Ibadan while presenting his paper on the topic ” Let’s end GBV focus on FGM at the International Day for the elimination of Violence against Women and Girls organised by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Oyo state chapter.

He stressed that additional 3 million Women and Girls undergo it annually worldwide while Nigeria has the world’s highest FGM.

According to Prof Ojengbede, 25% or 19.9million Nigerian girls and women of 15 to 49years old underwent FGM between 2004 and 2015 with the Southern part of the country having the prevalence.

Highlighting the negative impacts of GBV especially FGM on women and girls, Prof Ojengbede emphasized the need to eliminate GBV worldwide through what he called a global strategy against FGM.

Prof Ojengbede listed ways of eliminating GBV to include Community mobilization, Education, creating awareness and platform for training of health care professionals against change, managing complications to save lives as well as managing the psychological and sexual complications.

Other ways according to Prof Ojengbede are through legal reform, review of national laws, regulations of policies, procedures and practices including traditional and cultural practices.

Speaking, the Executive Director, HACEY Health Initiative, Nigeria, Ms. Rhoda Robinson said over 20 million women and girls in Nigeria are subjected to Female Genital Mutilation, (FGM).

Ms. Robinson stressed that there is an urgent need to eradicate GBV especially FGM in society considering its negative effects on Women and Girls.

Oyo state NAWOJ Chairperson, Comrade Jadesola Ajibola declared that the association is committed to fighting against Gender-Based Violence as well as ensuring other forms of violence against women and girls.

Comrade Ajibola emphasized that Oyo NAWOJ in her second term in office as the association Chairperson is to be more committed and focused on the fight against rape and other forms of violence on women.