In a campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), one entrepreneur has raised almost 30 ambassadors to help create an equal world for girls and women in Nigeria.
Esther Olurounbi, Creative Director and CEO of ThreeStars Origami, who said explained why her business is involved in this cause, said: “awareness does not match the huge negative impact – infertility, maternal death, child death, lack of sexual pleasures, infections etc. That is why we at ThreeStars Origami decided to do something about it.
“A problem that exists but is unknown will find no solution. Shedding the light of awareness on FGM that thrives in the dark, we believe is the first step towards ending FGM in Nigeria.”
In a day campaign workshop held recently at the University of Ibadan, Olurounbi trained 30 women and men in Origami, using that time to intimate the participants on the issue of female genital mutilation and its effect on the society.
“FGM has no health benefits and is in fact very harmful to health in many ways. Female genital mutilation is silently prevalent in Nigeria. If you think FGM, you would think dark ages. But the reality is that one out every four females between the ages of 15 and 49 in Nigeria has been genitally mutilated in this age and time,” she said
The World Health Organization describes FGM as any procedure that injures the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. A 2013 Demographic Health Survey (DHS) report states that three out of ten Nigerian women aged 15 to 49 and living in urban areas, have undergone female genital mutilation. At 32.3 per cent, the reality is that, according to a charity organisation against FGM, more women in the urban areas of Nigeria victims of FGM as against 19.3 per cent of women living in rural areas who have experienced the practice.
The DHS also noted that the South West at 47.5 per cent and South East at 49 per cent, have the highestFGM prevalence, with Osun State recording the highest at 76.6 per cent.
“By organizing free origami training, we had an assembly of about 30 people, who knew practically nothing about FGM but at the end of the day, we had 24 #EndFGM ambassadors leaving the doors of the Theatre Arts, University of Ibadan Post Graduate room. This is the beginning of many more for us,” she said.
The plan she said, is that the 24 ambassadors will raise more ambassadors against the campaign for gender equality and safety, as well as fight against FGM.
She added that: “Our goal is Stopping FGM in one generation. At ThreeStars Origami we believe that tradition is one of the major drivers of FGMin Nigeria. And traditions are handed from generation to generation like a baton in a relay race. If this generation is sensitized and refuses to collect the baton, then the race ends.
“There is a growing movement across the world against FGM, people are speaking out and protesting against the practice. The shame and secrecy which surrounds FGM is being challenged.”
and then