The Wife of the Ebonyi State Governor and Founder of the Better Health for Rural Women, Children and Internally Displaced Persons (BERWO) Foundation, Chief Mrs. Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, has reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), warning that perpetrators will face the full weight of the law.
Mrs. Nwifuru made the declaration during the Ebonyi State Women’s Leadership Summit on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, organised by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the BERWO Foundation in Abakaliki.
The First Lady described FGM as a harmful cultural practice with no medical benefit, saying it exposes girls and women to severe health complications, emotional trauma and lifelong physical challenges.
She announced plans to intensify statewide awareness campaigns through radio programmes, local language jingles, schools, churches, markets and rural communities to educate residents on the dangers of the practice.
Mrs. Nwifuru also charged traditional rulers, religious leaders, local government chairpersons and members of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to strengthen advocacy efforts aimed at completely eradicating FGM across the state.
She stressed that every girl child deserves to grow up in a safe environment free from harmful traditional practices and reaffirmed her commitment to promoting the welfare, education and protection of women and girls.
In his goodwill message, the World Health Organization representative, Mr. Douglas Ogbueli, described Female Genital Mutilation as a major public health concern with lifelong physical and psychological consequences, urging stakeholders to sustain grassroots campaigns against the practice.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Felicia Nwankpuma, commended the First Lady’s leadership in championing the fight against FGM and expressed confidence that participants would strengthen advocacy efforts in their various communities.
Delivering a technical presentation, Consultant Gynaecologist, Professor Johnson Obunna, described Female Genital Mutilation as medically unjustifiable and harmful, noting that some procedures are still carried out by traditional birth attendants and other health workers despite the known health risks.
