A radio presenter and humanitarian has voiced out against female genital mutilation.
Dorkong Rimdam, the founder of the Female Power Menstrual Awareness Initiative, passionately campaigned against the practice during a grassroots outreach in Mpape, a suburb of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).Speaking to a gathering of women and young girls, Rimdan underscored the devastating impact of period poverty and genital mutilation (FGM), noting that the practice offers no positive outcomes and must be eradicated to protect the health, dignity, and future of girls and women. She emphasized that FGM is a harmful cultural practice that leaves lasting physical, emotional, and psychological scars, making its abolition not just a matter of policy but of human rights.
“We are here to demystify the stigma, and that’s why we are here to have these conversations openly without fear of being judged. Female genital mutilation does more harm than good to the woman. In fact, there has been no scientific proof that it benefits the woman. All we have so far are only the health complications, issues during childbirth, urinary tract infections, and a bunch of other things, so I am boldly calling for the abolition of female genital mutilation in Nigeria,” she said.
While highlighting the pervasive issue of period poverty, which affects countless girls, Rimdan, an on-air-personality at Cool FM Abuja, called on the government to subsidize sanitary pads, ensuring that all girls, regardless of their background, have access to clean, safe menstrual products.
“There’s so much the government can do, first, if we can have toilet paper in the bathroom, then we should have sanitary pads there too because this is also a natural occurrence, the government can also subsidize sanitary pads, if they can reduce the cost of the pads, it will really help because I’ve always said this and I will say it again, condoms are distributed freely, so why won’t sanitary pads be also distributed freely. I would also appeal for moveable toilets to be made available in public spaces so that girls can change.”
Partnering with Rimdan in the outreach was Chiggy Nsofor, the founder of the Chiggy Nsofor Foundation. Chiggy echoed the need for increased awareness and empowerment, particularly in the realm of education. She stressed that by building the intellectual capacity of young girls, they can be equipped to break barriers and achieve their dreams.
She noted that Her foundation remains committed to fostering this mindset, helping girls realize that they are capable of accomplishing anything.
Oloseni Victoria, Publicity Secretary of the FIDA Abuja branch, also spoke at the event, reaffirming FIDA’s commitment to working within communities to enhance the overall well-being of the girl child. She emphasized the crucial role of collaborations like this in empowering young girls and providing them with access to essential health information.
“One of our missions is to see that the rights of girls are preserved, promoted, and protected and one of such ways is to come out and enlighten them on their rights and this whole outing today is one that speaks volume to the cause of FIDA.”
The outreach was met with great enthusiasm from women and girls in the community, including female students from LEA Primary Mpape. The joy and excitement were palpable as they learned practical skills such as making reusable pads and receiving menstrual hygiene products. One of the beneficiaries, Allison Emmanuel, expressed deep gratitude for the initiative, sharing how the outreach not only provided valuable knowledge but also addressed the pressing needs of the community.
“Honestly, I like di program. The way dem teach us about menstruation, to use di cup, and the pad, dis one sweet me well well. At least, I don sabi how to do my own reusable pad for house with my hand and I go beg the government to do more for us wey no too get money to dey buy buy pad bcos e don cos for market.”
