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Wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode, on Tuesday charged parents and the civil society to continue condemning Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) so that governments at all levels will put in place the statutes that will eradicate the practice in the country and Africa by 2030.
She said this in Ikeja during an event to commemorate this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.
Mrs Ambode expressed optimism that FGM could be stamped out of Africa by 2030 if all individuals and institutions and stakeholders work together towards achieving that purpose.
Although the practice was well entrenched in the continent, with some countries recording up to 90 percent prevalence among girls and women, the situation was not hopeless if the current advocacy was sustained or increased, she noted.
“The pace of penetration of awareness seems slow because the practice is an ancient one, deeply rooted in our various cultures but that does not make our efforts fruitless. Though progress may be slow, we are going somewhere as rural women, mothers and young girls, are becoming aware of the severe health implications of the barbaric practice.
“Few years ago, many women, even some educated ones, saw it as a normal and socially acceptable practice but the story is fast changing, as awareness is getting mileage and rural women are now campaigning against it,”according to her.
The governor’s wife implored governments at all levels to fight the practice with direct legislations, in the manner they are doing with some wicked anti-female practices.
She emphasised that FGM constituted an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls, directly violating their rights to health, security and physical integrity, wondering why women should be subjected to such life-threatening dehumanization.
February 6 every year, is set aside by the United Nations, as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation across the world.
