The Initiative for Research Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD), a research and advocacy hub, has called for urgent action to eradicate harmful practices like the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
The Director of IRIAD, Princess Hamman-Obels, made the call in a statement to commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (IDZTFGM) in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that IDZTFGM is annually observed on Feb. 6 to raise awareness about the harmful practice of FGM and promote efforts to eliminate it.
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The theme of the 2025 IDZTFGM is “Step up the Pace”, aimed at strengthening alliances and building movements to end FGM.
FGM is a human rights violation that involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
It is also a form of violence against women and girls, and it has severe physical, emotional and health consequences, including infection, anxiety, depression and maternal mortality.
According to UNICEF, more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM.
The fund added that “FGM remains widespread in Nigeria, with an estimated 19.9 million survivors. Nigeria accounts for the third highest number of women and girls who have undergone FGM worldwide, with the risk of cutting highest in the first five years.”
Hamman-Obels, therefore, emphasised that FGM affects millions of women and girls worldwide, posing significant health risks and violating human rights.
According to her, FGM also leads to severe pain, infections, complications during childbirth, and psychological trauma.
She said IRIAD acknowledged Nigeria’s efforts toward eliminating FGM by 2030, including the enactment of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) in 2015, which criminalises FGM.
She explained that additionally, the National Policy and Plan of Action for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (2021-2025) outlines strategies aimed at eradicating the practice through education and community engagement.
She added that “IRIAD has noted that challenges persist, such as inadequate funding for anti-FGM programmes and resistance from some traditional leaders.
“As part of its call to action, IRIAD urges stakeholders, including government officials, healthcare providers, community leaders, educators and civil society organisations to intensify their efforts in advocating against FGM.”
He urged stakeholders to work collaboratively to raise awareness, enforce existing laws and promote alternative rites of passage that respect the rights and dignity of women and girls.
She said IRIAD emphasised that ending FGM by 2030 is not just a goal but a moral imperative that requires urgent action from everyone involved.
“Together, we can create a future where every girl grows up free from harm and empowered to reach her full potential. Let us step up the pace,” she said
(NAN)
