FGM: 14.8 m girls at risk being cut – UNFPA

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) says about 14.8 million girls and women globally are at the risk of having their genital organs cut off in the future.

Our correspondent reports that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a partial or total removal of female Genital organs for non-medical reasons.

Mrs Karima Bungudu, FGM Analyst, UNFPA said this at a two-day training for journalists on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Lagos on Monday.

Bungudu warned that the practice was not only a violation of human rights but a serious crime against the girls’ health rights.

According to her, about 200 million women and girls have been cut globally with its medical and health consequences.

Dr Aliyu Yakubu, Ag.Head of UNFPA, Cross Rivers called on the media and the public generally to amplify their voices against Female Genital Mutilation.

Yakubu who condemned the practice in its entirety, said that medicalization of the practice was even more dangerous.

Earlier, Hajiya Kori Habib, Media Associate, UNFPA said that the aim of the training was to equip Media Practitioners to effectively campaign against FGM.

Habib said that the training would engender a stronger capacity of the media Practitioners to report against Female Genital Mutilation.