The National Orientation Agency ( NOA), and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) have called on communities in the country to publicly denounce Female Gender Mutilation
The Agencies said public denunciation is to demonstrate to others that they have stopped the practice.
They made the call on Friday during a sensitization programme at Isu , headquarters of Onitsha Local Government Area of the state.
NOA Director in Ebonyi, Dr Desmond Onwo said “the present declaration of the Onicha people on abandoning the practice is unique because it would make others emulate their action.
According to him, the practice is not only harmful,it destroys the wholesomeness of women and poses increased risk of disease transmission,causes bleeding and prolonged labour among other harmful effects”
Onwo said that the UN joint programme on the practice has drastically reduced its prevalence among women aged between 15-49 in the state from 74.2 per cent in 2013- 53.2 per cent by 2018.
” The prevalence rate among girls between ages 0-14 years within the period under review has also dropped from 26.2 per cent to 5.2 per cent but we seek that Ebonyi records zero per cent” he said.
In his remarks, Dr Ibrahim Conte,Chief- UNICEF ENUGU Office said that UNICEF and patners have worked tirelessly towards total elimination of the practice.
He said there are laws now in place to protect the rights of and privileges of children in Ebonyi such as the Ebonyi Violence Against Persons Prohibition Law, Ebonyi Child Rights Law among others adding that security agencies, Judicial officers and social welfare officers would be trained to support efforts to end the practice in Onicha LGA.
The traditional ruler of Isu,Ambrose Ogbu said that the people would ensure that those who still engage in the practice are identified and prosecuted.
