UNICEF Consultant Calls for Making FGM a Taboo

As Nigerians join other people across the globe to mark this year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a UNICEF consultant on FGM, Mrs. Aderonke Olutayo wants the people to adopt non-circumcision of female children as a binding tradition.

Mrs. Olutayo particularly called on the Yorubas to regard the practice as a taboo as practiced by the people of Ijebu land in Ogun State.

The consultant while speaking on this year’s theme “Unleashing Youths Power” maintained that the Ijebu people’s tradition of zero tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation had kept the prevalence rate in Ogun state at a low level.

Mrs. Olutayo hinted that non-circumcision of female children usually helped the women to do well in all endeavours and dismissed the tag of promiscuity as being used to justify reasons for practicing the act.

The consultant advocated collective efforts to boost the rejection of harmful practices against women.

Wale Oluokun