In a bid to promote positive change and safeguard the rights of the girl child, the Alara of Ilara-Mokin, Oba Abiodun Adefehinti, has appealed to residents of the town to abandon the practice of mutilating the girl child.
The monarch, who spoke at a gathering of community stakeholders on the need to end female genital mutilation, emphasized the urgent need to abolish such practices.
At the community stakeholders’ forum, organised by a group of advocates who promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, Oba Adefehinti underscored the lack of any beneficial outcome of female genital cutting and advocated for “the discontinuation of other detrimental traditional health practices”.
He remarked, “Gone are the days when a woman was confined to mourning for months after losing her husband, leaving her children to fend for themselves. It is time to abandon these harmful customs”.
Moninkanola Ogidan, a journalist and leader of the advocacy team, outlined the severe consequences of female genital mutilation to include “intense pain, sexual issues, excessive bleeding, swelling, infections,and urinary problems”.
Ogidan, who expressed gratitude to the monarch for providing the opportunity to address the community, praised “his commitment to illuminating the path towards positive change”.
The #EndFGM advocate said: “as society listens to insightful voices of leaders like Oba Adefehinti, there is hope that this will pave the way for a brighter and healthier future for the fight against FGM beyond his community”.
“This gathering serves as a significant milestone in the efforts to protect the well-being and dignity of young girls, signaling a progressive shift from harmful practices that have persisted for generations”, she added.
The team of #EndFGM advocates, led by Moninkanola Ogidan, were in the community to enlighten residents on the detrimental impacts of traditional practices that are harmful and detrimental to sexual and reproductive health.
