Ulla Mueller, the Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Nigeria, has called for an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), claiming that the practice violates the human rights of girls.
Mueller told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday that the act was widespread, particularly in the South-East, South-South, and South-West.
FGM refers to all non-medical operations that include the partial or entire removal of the female external genitalia or other harm to the female genital organs.
Critics of the practice claim that it is based on cultural ignorance and distortion.
The Practice Of Female Genital Mutilation In Igboland
Mueller, who described the practice as the pinnacle of gender discrimination, warned that such damaging practice could limit women’s ability to live life to the fullest.
She said, “FGM is a violation of girls’ and women’s human right to choices; it can affect the vision and dreams for a greater future.”
Globally, it is believed that 200 million girls and women have experienced some type of female genital mutilation.
According to UNFPA, 68 million girls worldwide are at danger of being mutilated between 2015 and 2030.
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