The Ekiti State Government has Issued a stern warning to perpetrators of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), reaffirming its unwavering commitment to completely eradicate the harmful practice and all other forms of gender-based violence across the state.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani, delivered this charge during a intensive two-day capacity-building training organized for health educators and assistant health educators in Ekiti State. The strategic workshop was facilitated by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in direct collaboration with the Ekiti State Ministry of Health, aiming to aggressively strengthen community advocacy for the total abandonment of FGM.
Zero Health Benefits, Severe Medical Consequences
Represented at the event by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, Dr. Filani expressed deep concern over the persistence of the practice. He questioned why some mothers continue to subject their daughters to such trauma despite the well-documented, devastating consequences.
The Commissioner categorized FGM as a severe violation of human rights that offers absolutely no medical benefits, warning that it leaves victims exposed to immediate and lifelong trauma.
“Female genital mutilation has no health benefits. It is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights because of its harmful effects. The government will prosecute anyone found culpable of this act,” Filani warned.
He further explained that the immediate aftermath of the procedure often includes severe pain, shock, and excessive bleeding, while also exposing young girls to deadly blood-borne infections such as HIV and Hepatitis.
The Hidden Trauma and Childbirth Complications
Adding weight to the advocacy, the UNFPA Representative, Mrs. Agnes Oyeniran, shed light on the deeper psychological and reproductive damage caused by the practice. She emphasized that FGM is a leading trigger for lifelong psychological trauma, anxiety, and depression in women.
From an obstetric standpoint, Oyeniran warned that survivors face terrifying ordeal during childbirth, noting that the practice drastically increases the risks of prolonged labor, perineal tears, postpartum hemorrhage, and emergency Caesarean sections. Furthermore, she noted that resulting infections frequently damage reproductive organs and block fallopian tubes, leading to irreversible infertility.
Corroborating these facts, the State Gender Officer, Mrs. Dupe Amodu, stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies FGM as a major global public health crisis. Amodu stressed that the excessive bleeding associated with the practice often induces severe anemia, directly contributing to the state’s maternal and infant mortality rates.
A Call to Grassroots Mobilization
To reverse this trend, stakeholders at the workshop called for an aggressive, grassroots sensitization campaign. Dr. Filani urged the trained health educators to take the anti-FGM crusade directly into their local offices and residential communities.
Similarly, Mrs. Oyeniran tasked participants with taking the message to churches, mosques, traditional community meetings, and social gatherings to ensure no perpetrator hides under the guise of culture.
Responding on behalf of the participants, Mr. Dapo Olatunbosun commended the state government and the UNFPA for the timely intervention. He pledged the collective commitment of the health educators to ensure that the anti-FGM message is aggressively disseminated into every nook and cranny of Ekiti State.
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