Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has expressed the need to intensify advocacy efforts to eliminate the harmful practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Mrs Tinubu spoke Tuesday in Abuja at the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, FGM with the theme, Delivering the global promise. Her words: “We need to empower survivors by providing comprehensive medical, legal, and psychological services to help them regain their dignity.
“We should foster partnerships by engaging with women groups, form alliances with young people, civil society, faith based organisations, and the government”. According to her, the collaboration will help mobilize resources, share best practices, and create sustainable movement against gender-based violence and Female Genital Mutilation. The First Lady who frowned at the practice, saying it was totally unacceptable, added “it not only affects the survivors physically, emotionally and psychologically but also over time, these adverse effects diminish their overall well-being, restrict their opportunities to exercise their rights, and hinder the realization of their full potential.
“Change begins with each of us. Our actions, no matter how small, have the potential to create a ripple effect of transformation in our communities towards a future free from Female Genital Mutilation. “In my capacity as the First Lady, I make a commitment today to lend my support in delivering the global promi.
