CENTUS NWEZE REPORTING
Physicians and other medical practitioners may soon start to report to authorities evidence of female genital mutilation, FGM in Ekiti State after Stakeholders in the prohibition of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in Ekiti State enlisted the support of medical petitioners in ending the outlawed cultural practice.
This was part of the resolutions of the stakeholders at the programme organised by a non Governmental organisation, The New Generation, Girls and Women Initiative (NIGAWD).The programme was supported by the United Nations Population Fund .
Tagged: “Strengthening of Ministries, Department , Agencies (MDAS) and Law Enforcement Agencies on the Implementation/Operationalization of Laws and Legal Frameworks against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Gender Based Violence (GBV) to Improve Access to Justice for Survivors and Victims in Ekiti State”.
The objective of the engagement were to ascertain the level of implementation of the Ekiti State GBV Prohibition Law 2019 hat outlaws FGM, thereby developing strategies in improving access to justice for Victims and survivors of FGM, GBV and other forms of Violence Against Women and Girls, VAW/G
The stakeholders also called on Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State to prosecute Gender-Based Violence and Female Genital Mutilation offenders in order to serve as deterrents to the general public.
The Stakeholders urged the NGOs through their interventions to train and deploy community vanguards recognized by the government at local levels to serve as monitoring and surveillance mechanisms who will ensure reportage of cases.
They posited that FGM and GBV is being continually fueled by tradition and cultural norms in Communities among human, especially women, hence the reason for the state government to intervene and proffer longlasting solutions to the menace.
“Persons who aide and abate the practice of FGM and those who interfere with prosecution of reported cases should be prosecuted and made to face the law; to serve as deterrent to the general public.
“Necessary support should be afforded to women and girls at risk of FGM and GBV through the Protection and Occupation order of the state GBV Prohibition Law 2019.
“Medical practitioners should serve as community police to check babies for FGM during immunization and mandatorily report the case.”the communique reads in part.
They equally suggested that, Ministry of Budget and Finance should encourage the release of funds for the full implementation of the GBV Prohibition law and other interventions, adding that there should be advocacy for an increased budgetary allocation by all concerned MDAs towards a more effective FGM and GBV abandonment campaign by the state government.
Among the stakeholders and gender based organisations that participated in the programme included Ekiti State Commissioner, Ministry of Health and Human Services, Dr. Oyebanji Filani; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Olusola Adeluyi-Femi
Others were the Commissioner of Police and State Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Comm. John Fayemi. Others included State Chairperson International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Oyinade Olatunbosun;
The Chairman, Coalition of Ekiti Civil Society Organizations (COECSO), Prof, Christopher Oluwadare; Coordinator, Sexual Assault and Referral Center (SARC), Rita Ilevbare and Shirley Atane, Special Assistant Gender and Vulnerable Matters, Office of The Wife of the Governor.