PUTTING AN END TO FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) IN NIGERIA AND GLOBALLY.

As the world marks today the 11th of october 2021 as the international day of the girl child, l join millions of people and global changemakers to celebrate this day and to wish every girl child out there success in their chosen endeavours in life and career paths. l want to use this medium to delve into the issue of female genital mutilation (FGM).  Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a very serious cultural practice that is bedevilling the world today mostly in developing countries (third world countries) and in advance countries of the world too. This deeply held rooted cultural practice is still much with us in this modern times, and we must all rise up as social advocates to put an end to this inhuman traditional harmful practice on our girls and women. According to world health organization (WHO) around 1 in 4 girls and women or 52million worldwide experienced female genital mutilation performed by health personnel, we must all unite to de-medicalize female genital mutilation (FGM) globally. Studies have also shown that 7 in 10 girls and women oppose female genital mutilation, and poor and marginalized girls are at an increased risk of undergoing female genital mutilation. Hence victims of female genital mutilation needs global voices to put an end to this inhuman and archaic age long practice.

Globally, over 200 million girls and women have experienced female genital mutilation, and at least 4 million girls are at risk of undergoing the practice each year. We must all rise up and say no to female genital mutilation. We must as a matter of urgency educate people most especially traditional birth attendants in local communities who are still neck deep in this age long traditional cultural practice not to mutilate girls, because female genital mutilation has nothing to do with prosmicuity of girls and women as most people do believe. Female genital mutilation is a human right violation on girls and women. It prevents girls and women from realizing their full rights and full potentials. The practice is rooted in gender inequalities, limiting girls and women from realizing their rights and potentials in health, education and income. Female genital mutilation (FGM) has no health benefits, rather it is culturally motivated by beliefs and traditions about what is considered acceptable sexual behaviour.

According to world health organization (WHO) report 27% of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years have undergone female genital mutilation in Nigeria, making Nigeria the number three in the world following Egypt and Ethiopia. The figures are alarming, this practice is a clear violations on a woman's human rights and children's rights. lt is an extreme form of discrimination against females in the community. We must all ensure that adequate legislations are put in place and that duty bearers are held accountable to make policies and legislations to safeguard the right to bodily integrity, autonomy, safety, security, physical and mental well being of our girls and women.

In Nigeria, the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is illegal and against the law in Nigeria. According to the VAPP Act, a person who performs female genital mutilation commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment or a fine or both. Same should be adopted in other countries of the world to stem the tide of female genital mutilation (FGM) and to nip it into the bud. The herculean tasks and the onus lies on us all as social changemakers and social advocates to unite and create safe spaces and give our girls and women a voice. Voice enables our girls and women to lead social advancement. We must all learn to listen to the girl child, her freedom of choice and actions create a more balanced world. Female genital

mutilation (FGM) violates bodily autonomy of girls and women, and as such as we celebrate today as the international day of the girlchild we must all rally around our support to put an end to this archaic, age long traditional and cultural practice globally on our girls and women to save them from the risks and dangers of female genital mutilation.

TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH GENDER BASED VIOLENCE (GBV).

▪Gender - this refers to the social and biological differences between men and women.

▪Gender Based Violence (GBV) - violence directed against a person based on the gender differences between males and females. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm and occur in family too, including battering, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse of children in household, marital rape, female genital mutilation, harmful widowhood practices and other traditional practices harmful to women.

▪Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) - physical, sexual and/or psychological violence which may include rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and sexual intimidation in the work place and in institutions of learning, trafficking in women and children, sexual slavery and forced prostitution.

▪ Sexual Assault - a non consensual contact that does 

not include penetration. E.g attempted rape, unwanted kissing, unwanted fondling and unwanted touching of the genitalia, buttocks and breasts.

▪Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) - an act of cutting part of a female genital organ, mostly for cultural or religious purposes. FGM is a criminal offense in Nigeria.

▪Consent - the permission of an individual who has the legal capacity to give consent. To give consent to sexual activity, the individual must have the capacity and maturity to know about and understand the activity and be legally able to give their consent. Parents/caregivers are typically responsible for giving consent to their child receiving services until the child reaches 18 years of age. Persons who are mentally incapacitated are considered incapable of legally being able to give consent even if they are above 18.

▪Perpetrator - person, group, or institution that directly inflicts or otherwise support violence or other abuse inflicted on another against his/her will.

▪ Survivor - the person harmed or injured as a result of the sexually violent act perpetrated by another but is now dealing with the aftermath of the event.

▪ Psycho Social Support - support that aims to promote survivor's wellbeing and or prevent mental disorder.

#EndFGM #GlobalGoals #SDGs #UNICEF #UNESCO #UNWomenNigeria #UNWomen #UNDPNigeria #UNDP #UNNigeria #euinnigeria #ukinnigeria #usinnigeria #japaninnigeria #canadainnigeria #ECOWAS #CYPLP #AfricanUnion #AU #EU #UN.

 BRIEF PERSONAL PROFILE OF ENOBONG EKWERE - SOCIAL ACTIVIST/ DEVELOPMENT EXPERT IN NIGERIA.

Comrade Enobong Ekwere is a social influencer, blogger, vlogger, environmental/ human rights activist, peace practitioner, grassroot social mobilizer, SDGs advocate and a global citizen. Enobong Ekwere also have vast knowledge and professional expertise in copy writing, content creation, online and offline media campaigning. He is the program manager of children and young people living for peace (CYPLP), an organic, volunteer of experts, youth focused and a think-tank non-governmental organization based in Kaduna state, Nigeria. A Higher National Diploma (HND) graduate of Public Administration (Upper Credit) from the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State, Nigeria. Enobong Ekwere holds a proficiency certificate in management from the Nigerian Institute of Management, Chartered (NIM) Lagos, Nigeria. He is also a graduate member of the institute (Associate member in view). He works with young people in local communities across Nigeria localizing the sustainable development goals (SDGs)  (SDG16+ SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) and positive peace frameworks in Nigeria, accelerating action online and offline, engaging duty bearers and policy makers to be accountable for it's implementation by 2030. He is a strong advocate of peace, good governance and democracy, accountability in government, freedom of information, freedom of expression, access to information, free press, social justice and social inclusion. As a youth advocate and a global leader who loves to see social reforms in the society, he uses his personalized blog to write compelling stories on developmental and topical issues on national and global concern that shapes and transform people's lives and impact the larger society for knowledge transfer and lifelong learning. He engages in community service and volunteerism, community outreach, social mobilization and advocacy tours to hard to reach local communities in Nigeria advocating and advancing the cause of the SDGs (SDG16+ SDG4 and SDG5 in particular) so that no community and youth in Kaduna state and Nigeria at large would be left behind. CYPLP as an organization works primarily in serving vulnerable population of children, youth, elderly persons, people living with disabilities (PLWD's) and women in unserved, underserved, underrepresented and marginalized local communities in Nigeria.

My areas of competence in peace education and peace building process includes;

1. Conflict mapping, sensitivity and analysis

2. Negotiation, mediation and reconciliation

3. Interreligious and intercultural dialogue

4. Protection of civilians

5. Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR)

6. Security sector reforms (SSR)

7. Mainstreaming gender in peace keeping

8. Mainstreaming gender in peace and state building

9. Crisis management/resolution

10. Media and conflict

11. Conflict and natural resources

12. Conflict prevention

13. Peace support operations (PSOs)

14. Post- conflict reconstruction and development

15. Humanitarian action

16. Transnational organized crime

17. Piracy and maritime security

18. Preventing violent extremism (PVE) etc.

Enobong Ekwere has an extensive professional working experience in projects such as;

1. PRELT (Prevention of radicalization and extremism leading to terrorism)

2. BRAVE (Building resilience against violent extremism)

3. iDOVE (Interfaith dialogue on violent extremism) in local communities across Kaduna state and Nigeria at large.

I have initiated two projects to counter religious and violent extremism among the youths in local communities in Nigeria, and one empowerment program, these are;

1. CAARE ( Countering Attitudes Against Religious Extremism)

2. CAAVE (Countering Attitudes Against Violent Extremism)

3. NEET (Not in Education, Empowerment or Training) an empowerment training program aimed at training vulnerable population of young people in local communities in Nigeria with leadership skills, entrepreneurial and vocational skills acquisition.

He can be reached via:

Tel/WhatsApp: +2347082558952

Email: enobongekwere825@gmail.com

MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/enobong.ekwere.372

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/Enobongekwere2

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/enobongekwere825

LINKEDIN: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/enobong-ekwere-3271b116b

MY ORGANIZATION'S SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/cyplp.net.ng/

TWITTER: 

http://www.twitter.com/youngpeoplefor/

INSTAGRAM: 

http://www.instagram.com/cyplp/

WEBSITE: 

www.cyplp.net.ng

INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER - INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION (IHRC) GENEVA, SWITZERLAND.