THE Osun State Government is looking at rewarding residents who expose perpetrators of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, otherwise known as female circumcision, across the state.
The Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, disclosed this while speaking during an Osun State Stakeholders’ virtual meeting, titled, “Stop Cut Project Female Genital Mutilation,” organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation, HACEY Health Initiative, in partnership with the state Ministry of Health.
Being the state with the highest prevalence of the harmful practice in the South West, the NGO gathered stakeholders, including the state government, representatives from the ministries of Health, Women Affairs and Justice; Nigerian Medical Association, and the Legal unit of the state House of Assembly, among others, with a view to having a robust discussion that would tackle the menace.
Others, who attended the meeting, included representatives from the International Federation of Women Lawyers; Nigeria Association of Women Journalists; National Human Right Commission; Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps; National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives and Civil Society Organisations.
While responding to questions at the meeting, the Commissioner for Health said the state government would consider offering some financial incentives to residents who exposed such practice.
According to him, the whistleblowing policy will be a great tool of ensuring that the state eradicates the harmful practice.
Isamotu also urged residents to voluntarily give out information on those that either cut their female children or the local/medical cutters, adding that FGM had negative and deadly effects on victims.
Also speaking, Mrs Toyin Adelowokan, the FGM coordinator in the state Ministry of Health, said despite public declarations made by some local cutters recently, FGM was still being practised in the state.
She said no one had been caught since her team and NGOs in the state had started campaigns against the practice, adding that it was unfortunate that some medical doctors and other health workers had joined in the business of cutting girls in the state.
Even when the state government had threatened to withdraw the certificates of practice of erring health workers, she said some were still adamant.
Kayode Titiloye of the legal unit of the state House of Assembly said there was a need for a review of the law against FGM in the state.
Titiloye noted that there should be a law compelling health workers to report any female that had been mutilated or cut to either a security agency or the Ministry of Health in the state.
According to him, people will still continue with the practice until offenders of FGM are prosecuted and punished.
The Executive Director of HACEY Health Initiative, Rhoda Robinson, said the project was to see to the abandonment of FGM/C in Osun State through the collaborative efforts of stakeholders.
She said, “The project will build the capacity of critical stakeholders such as Civil Society Organisations, media, religious and traditions leaders, government ministries and agencies, as well as survivors, on advocacy and engagement with policy makers, to domesticate and enforce policies and laws on FGM/C at the state and local levels.
“It will also increase the knowledge of members of the community on these policies and laws and promote positive behavioural change towards the abandonment of FGM/C practices within the communities in the states.”
