Gynecologist wants govt. to formulate laws to curb female genital mutilation

Dr Sesan Oluwasola, a Gynecologist at the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan, on Thursday, urged government to formulate laws that would curb the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria.

Oluwasola made the call in an interview as the world commemorates the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation with the theme ‘Unleashing the Youth Power’.

He said “we need more of government’s intervention in terms of the policy.

“If there is a law in the country that bans female genital mutilation practice, it becomes easier to prosecute whoever is still practicing it.

“Again, if all the medical practitioners, doctors, nurses, midwives and those in the school of health technology make it a point of duty to include it in their curriculum, it will be easier at every point when we have people in need of healthcare for medical practitioners to advise them positively on this practice”.

Oluwasola added that though awareness was better than before, more was needed to completely eradicate the harmful age-long practice.

He noted that “many people in the rural areas still carry out the practice but many Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs) are now liaising with the people to let them know that the practice is harmful and to find a way of reducing transmission of infection from the practice”.

The expert noted this was a plus for medical professionals as those who still practice the act were gradually understanding the harm in the practice.