Key Points

• Oyo and UNICEF demand tougher FGM penalties.

• Communities urged to abandon harmful cultural practice.

• Survivors need justice and accountability in courts

IBADAN, Nigeria — The Oyo State government and the United Nations Children’s Fund are stepping up their fight against female genital mutilation. They want tougher legal penalties to put an end to what they call one of the most serious violations of women’s rights in the state.

The call came during a policy forum in Ibadan that was attended by government officials, medical experts, and activists. Folake Adebayo, a UNICEF child protection expert, said that female genital mutilation still happens even though it is against the law. She said that girls who are at risk can only be safe if the law is enforced more strictly. She said, “The law needs teeth.” “This bad habit won’t go away if people aren’t held accountable.”

Oyo and UNICEF want stricter laws against FGM

Toyin Balogun, the Oyo State Commissioner for Women Affairs, told the crowd that cultural pressure is still the main reason for the practice. She asked community elders and traditional leaders to help with prosecutions. Balogun said, “It’s not enough to just talk about how bad FGM is.” “We have to punish people who break the law so that communities see real consequences.”

According to a report by the Punch news, Oba Lamidi Oyekan, the chairman of the Oyo State Council of Traditional Rulers, said he would help and said that palace officials would not support local practitioners. He said, “Tradition should not put lives at risk.”

Communities told to stop doing things that hurt them

Activists say that the practice is still common in some parts of Ogbomoso, Saki, and Oyo town, even though more people are aware of it. Bose Ajibola, a women’s rights activist with the NGO Girl Child Rescue Foundation, said her group recorded more than 50 cases in 2024 alone. “Most were done in secret by unlicensed practitioners,” she said.

But the voices of the community show that attitudes are changing. Kehinde Oyewole, a youth leader in Oyo East Local Government, said that younger men now refuse to marry women who have undergone FGM. He said, “Our generation wants wives and daughters who are healthy, not harmful traditions.”

More and more people are calling for justice and accountability

Health professionals pushed for better help for survivors. Dr. Aisha Lawal, a gynecologist at University College Hospital in Ibadan, said that FGM can cause problems like infections and infertility. She said that survivors should be told they can speak up without fear. Lawal said, “Legal action can’t work if victims don’t speak up.”

According to UNICEF, almost 20 million Nigerian women and girls have had FGM, and Oyo is one of the five states that has been hit the hardest. While the number of cases has gone down across the country, officials say that things are moving slowly in rural areas.

Adebayo said, “It’s time to take bold action.” “Oyo needs to send a message that female genital mutilation is no longer acceptable.”