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16.02.2010 Education

Schools urged to form anti-FGM clubs

16.02.2010 LISTEN
By GNA

Schools urged to form anti-FGM clubs
February 16, 2010
Tuna, (N/R), Feb. 16, GNA - Mrs Florence Ali, President of the Ghana Association for Women Welfare (GAWW), has called for the formation of anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) clubs in all schools at the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District to help to stop the practice.

She said if teachers allowed the formation of these clubs in their schools, children would be better informed on the dangers associated with FGM and the information would subsequently be well disseminated to their parents.

Mrs Ali was speaking at a durbar organised by the GAWW to mark the seventh anniversary of "Zero Tolerance to FGM" on Saturday at Tuna in the Sawla Tuna Kalba District of the Northern Region.

The durbar, which was organised under the theme: "The Role of Men and Boys in the Eradication of FGM," was sponsored by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

It was aimed at equipping children with the requisite knowledge about FGM to enable them to serve as peer educators in their communities and to stand firm against its practice.

Mrs Ali mentioned difficulty in passing urine, severe bleeding, formation of tough scar tissues, pelvic inflammatory diseases leading to infertility, inability of menstrual blood flow and risk of catching blood transmitted diseases as some of the dangers of FGM.

She said 28 African countries including Ghana practised FGM, adding that it had however been reduced to about 2.8 per cent in the country because of the intense education carried out by government agencies and non-governmental organisations.

She noted that a nation without healthy women would eventually become a sick nation and urged children to join in the campaign against FGM to save the lives of women.

Mr Alhassan Bukari Shakuoru, the District Chief Executive (DCE), thanked the organizers of the durbar and said he had set up a Women and Children Sub-Committee at the District Assembly to take care of all issues affecting women in the District.

The DCE also announced the allocation of an amount of GH¢3,000 support for women in the "pito" industry since it was the major economic activity for women in the District.

Mrs Ruby Anang, UNICEF Representative, reiterated the organisation's commitment towards the welfare of children and advised them to take issues concerning their health and education seriously.

She said the practice of FGM was capable of destroying a woman for life and told the children that it was a crime and they should, therefore, endeavour to report any one engaged in such negative socio-cultural practice to the appropriate authorities.

The Reverend Father Thomas Dabuo thanked GAWW for honouring his invitation and pledged that he would continue to work hard to ensure the total eradication of negative cultural practices such as FGM, elopement of teenage girls and early marriage in the District.

Mr Sagba Chopire Joseph, the Presiding Member of the Assembly, urged the organizers to include parents whenever they held any educational forum on FGM in the District.

GNA

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