The Rivers State Government has intensified its efforts to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and all forms of violence against women and girls in the state.
In a significant step towards achieving this goal, the state government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has launched a programme aimed at abandoning FGM in the state.
The programme, being supported by UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), aims to galvanise support for the abandonment of FGM in Rivers State and ensure that the practice is eliminated in the state.
The programme, which was initiated with a two-day engagement of key stakeholders in Port Harcourt, brought together representatives from the justice, legislative, and security sectors, traditional rulers, survivors, NGOs, adolescents, and facilitators.
Speaking at the event, the Rivers State Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Professor Justina Jumbo, stated that the initiative will initially focus on four local government areas—Abua/Odual, Ahoda East, Ahoda West, and Emohua—before being scaled up to other LGAs.
She noted that as part of the programme, the Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, in collaboration with UNICEF, has trained 60 community facilitators, saying these facilitators will mentor 15 adolescents each from their respective communities, equipping them with knowledge to advocate against FGM and support its abandonment.
Professor Jumbo emphasised that FGM is a harmful traditional practice that violates human rights and causes lifelong health complications, describing it as an evil that should be stopped.
The Permanent Secretary also warned against other types of FGM practices, such as rubbing, massaging, or pressing a baby girl’s vaginal area with hot water or vaseline, often done in the guise of cultural or traditional norms.
She pointed out that these practices can cause damage to nerve endings and lead to long-term health consequences, including reduced sensitivity during sex and complications during childbirth.
“The state has been collaborating with UNICEF and UNFPA to tackle the menace of FGM and other gender violence for a while now. People practice FGM due to fear of stigmatisation and ignorance,” she opined.
She also noted that the state government has demonstrated strong political will to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by being the first state government to accommodate participants in a bid to train them in eliminating the practice.
Prof. Justina Jumbo stressed that the laws governing Rivers State spell out punishments for perpetrators of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), specifically citing the Rivers State Dehumanising and Harmful Traditional Practice Abolition Law No. 11 of 2015, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, and the Child Rights Act.
“The communique from the training will be forwarded to the state administrator, and UNICEF will also receive the outcome of the deliberations,” she concluded.
Also speaking, UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist, Enugu Field Office, Victor Atuchukwu, revealed that according to UNICEF’s data, the prevalence of FGM among women aged 15-49 and girls aged 0-14 is alarming, necessitating immediate action to eradicate this harmful practice.
The Child Protection Specialist with UNICEF stressed the need for urgent action, stating, “We’ve been engaging with critical stakeholders in Rivers State for the past two months, and the data speaks for itself—the prevalence of FGM is something that should be declared a state of emergency.”
The specialist added, “We need to work double time to ensure that all forms of violence against women and girls, including FGM, are eradicated by 2030.”
To address this critical issue, Atuchukwu noted that UNICEF has launched a multi-faceted programme in Rivers State, focusing on: Community and Stakeholder Engagements and Capacity Building Training, including training of adolescent girls and other stakeholders to increase their knowledge and capacity to lead efforts in the movement to end FGM, starting from families and households to communities and local governments.
He expressed appreciation for the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation’s efforts in addressing FGM and called on everyone to get on board and spread the message.
A survivor of Female Genital Mutilation, Veronica Odum, said she had to deal with physical and emotional trauma and advised parents and community leaders to protect their female children from such a harmful practice.
“I lost my first child due to infection from FGM, and my second child nearly didn’t make it at Borikiri Specialist Hospital. After moving to the UK, I suffered three miscarriages, including one set of twins, and had two infections. A nurse told me, ‘She’s one of them,’ referring to women who’ve undergone circumcision, explaining that this was the reason for my complications. I’m speaking out to warn others: female genital mutilation is extremely dangerous, and we must stop it,” the FGM survivor disclosed.
On his part, Chief Ipalibo Oguge, Paramount Ruler of Uwema Otari Community in Abua/Odual LGA, urged his counterparts to take the lead in eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in their respective communities.
This joint effort by the Rivers State Government and UNICEF, according to the Head of Media in the Rivers State Ministry of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation, Martha Igbiks, underscores the commitment to protecting the rights and well-being of girls and women in Rivers State, and serves as a model for other states to follow.
