Nigeria Might Not Meet FGM Eradication Goal

A women’s reproductive rights advocate, under the helm of the Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation, is cautioning that Nigeria may not be able to meet the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (target 5.3) UN deadline with the rapid increase in Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

The organisation said that with an estimated 19.9 million survivors, Nigeria accounted for the third-highest number of women and girls who have undergone FMG worldwide.

The Country Director of Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation, Lucky Palmer, expressed these views in a statement to commemorate the international day of zero tolerance for female genital mutilation with the theme, “Partnership with men and boys to transform social and gender norms to end FGM”.

The statement is titled, ‘Call to action to end female genital mutilation in Nigeria’.

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According to Palmer, while about 68 million girls worldwide were estimated to be at risk of FGM between 2015 and 2030, the trend was on the increase among Nigerian girls aged 0-14.

He said, “The human rights of women and girls – including the right to live free from violence and to have the opportunity to realize their full potential – must be protected and upheld. Ipas Nigeria recommits to ending this grave human rights abuse.

“We reiterate the need to accelerate efforts – especially with families and communities – to achieve a Nigeria safe for girls and women and finally free of FGM.

“We must take determined action to bring about change and eradicate this practice if we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (target 5.3) deadline of Zero FGM by 2030. We can all do our part to stand against this harmful practice.”

According to UNICEF, the rates have risen from 16.9 percent in 2013 to 19.2 percent in 2018, becoming a “worrying trend”.