ZERO TOLERANCE TO FGM: PROTECTING GIRLS, PRESERVING RIGHTS скачать в хорошем качестве

ZERO TOLERANCE TO FGM: PROTECTING GIRLS, PRESERVING RIGHTS

On tonight’s edition of News Tonight, we confront a deeply urgent issue, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a practice that continues to affect millions of girls and women worldwide, despite decades of advocacy and intervention. FGM is not culture. It is not tradition. It is not medicine. It is a human rights violation. The injury of female genitalia for non-medical reasons carries devastating consequences, from severe pain and infections in childhood to long-term reproductive complications, childbirth risks, trauma, and lasting psychological harm. The impact does not fade with time; it stretches across a woman’s entire life. According to the United Nations, over 230 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM and require access to proper healthcare and support services. Even more alarming, an estimated 22.7 million additional girls are at risk by 2030 unless global action accelerates dramatically. Every year, about 4 million girls are subjected to FGM, with more than 2 million cut before the age of five. While progress has been made — with half of the gains in the last 30 years occurring within the past decade — it is still not enough. To meet the Sustainable Development Goal target of eliminating FGM by 2030, the rate of decline must be 27 times faster. Here at home in Enugu State, recent data presents a sobering reality. Prevalence rates among women aged 15–49 range between 19% and 25.3%, with a 2025 UNICEF report indicating a 19% prevalence rate. Behind these percentages are real lives, real pain, and real futures at stake. This year’s global theme — “Towards 2030: No end to female genital mutilation without sustained commitment and investment” — underscores a critical truth: ending FGM requires more than awareness. It demands sustained political will, community engagement, cultural dialogue, and long-term investment from governments, civil society, and grassroots leaders. Joining us for this important conversation is Chief Joy Ijeoma Oguadimma, Executive Director of WEPBI and a respected women’s rights advocate. Together, we explore: • Why FGM persists despite legal prohibitions • The health and psychological impact on survivors • The role of communities and traditional leaders • How Enugu State can accelerate progress • What zero tolerance truly means in practice This is not just a statistic-driven discussion. It is a call to conscience. Because protecting girls is not optional. Because silence enables harm. Because zero tolerance must mean zero excuses. Watch, share, and be part of the movement to end FGM — for good. #NewsTonight #ZeroToleranceFGM #EndFGM #ProtectTheGirlChild #HumanRights #StopFGM #WomenRights #EnuguState #SDG2030 #afiatv