…Takes Sensitisation Campaign Across Ilorin Metropolis

In a bold move to put an end to the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kwara State, the state government has declared that its practice is now punishable under the law with four years imprisonment for any perpetrator, and two years imprisonment for any accomplice.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Chief (Mrs) Opeyemi Oluwakemi Afolashade, disclosed this to journalists on the sidelines of the campaign against the menace across the capital city of Ilorin.

Places visited during the campaign included Ajikobi, Omoda, Kankatu, Okelele Market, Gambari and Yoruba Road Market.

Speaking at the Palace of Balogun Ajikobi, the Commissioner expressed concern over the prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in the state, noting that FGM has no health benefits for survivors, while further explaining that survivors are exposed to health risks such as HIV, blood loss and traumatic experiences that impact their lives from childhood to adulthood.

The Commissioner reiterated the readiness of the state government to prosecute offenders and accomplices, maintaining that the State government would no longer condone any form of violence against women and children, such as child marriage, intimate partner violence, wife battering, child abandonment, among others.

Chief Afolashade also commended the efforts of the traditional institution for maintaining peace and harmony across the state, while praying for God’s continued guidance for the royal fathers.

In his remarks, Balogun Ajikobi and Alhaji Sulaiman Abdulwahab praised the state government for its efforts in protecting the people in the state, emphasising that all hands must be on deck to make the state safe for all.

The Chief Executive Officer, Save the Future of Children Initiative (SAFIN), Mr Olufemi Oyedeji, explained that the risks that FGM survivors are exposed to far outweigh the benefits.