Ekiti Vows to End Female Genital Mutilation, Trains Health Educators

The Ekiti State Government has restated its determination to stamp out Female Genital Mutilation and other forms of gender-based violence across the state.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Oyebanji Filani, made this known during a two-day training for health educators and assistant health educators organised in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs. Olusola Gbenga-Igotun, the commissioner described FGM as a harmful practice with no medical value, expressing concern that mothers continue to subject their daughters to the procedure despite its well-documented dangers.

He noted that the practice often leads to severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, and exposes victims to infections such as HIV and hepatitis. He stressed that FGM is internationally recognised as a human rights violation.

Filani called on the participants to carry the campaign to their workplaces and communities and warned that anyone caught engaging in the practice would face prosecution.

The UNFPA representative, Mrs. Agnes Oyeniran, explained that beyond physical complications, FGM could cause lasting psychological trauma, anxiety, and depression. She added that it increases the risk of prolonged labour, postpartum haemorrhage, emergency Caesarean sections, and infertility due to infections that damage reproductive organs.

State Gender Officer, Dupe Amodu, noted that global health bodies including the World Health Organization classify FGM as both a human rights violation and a major public health concern. She warned that excessive bleeding from the practice could lead to anaemia and life-threatening complications during childbirth.

Speaking on behalf of the trainees, Mr. Dapo Olatunbosun commended the organisers and pledged to support efforts to spread the anti-FGM message across the state.