Every girl is born complete and beautiful, exactly as God created her. She needs no cutting, no alteration, no "improvement" through mutilation; a truth we reaffirmed yesterday at a one-day reflective dialogue with wives of traditional rulers, women's groups, and other key stakeholders on the elimination of female genital mutilation in Imo State. The event was organized by the GoodHope Women Flourish Initiative in collaboration with UNFPA and the Imo State Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare on December 2, 2025, at Rockview Hotel, Owerri. The reflective dialogue featured sessions that emphasized our collective responsibility to end FGM, the health and psychological impacts of FGM, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law and its enforcement pathways, and testimony from an FGM survivor. The dialogue included diverse groups; Ugo Ezes, women's group leaders, faith leaders, and youth representatives, and culminated in the adoption of a communiqué, a public declaration, and pledge signing by various stakeholders. These actions reaffirmed our collective commitment to ending the pockets of FGM practices that still persist in Imo State, despite the abolition of the act in the state. During this period of 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, as we campaign for an end to all forms of violence against women and girls, we reiterate that female genital mutilation is violence. It is not culture. It is not tradition. It is a violation of our daughters' rights, their health, and their dignity. I acknowledge UNFPA, led by the UNFPA Nigeria Resident Representative, Ms. Muriel Mafico, and other sister UN agencies; UNICEF and WHO, as well as members of the Imo State House of Assembly led by Rt. Hon. Chike Olemgbe, our state ministries, traditional institutions, WOWICAN and other civil society partners for your commitment to the future and well-being of our daughters.

#NoExcuse #ACTtoEndViolence #16Days #EndFGM #GirlsRights #HerBodyHerRight #ImoAgainstFGM #ProtectOurGirls #UNITE2ENDFGM #EndGBV #OrangeTheWorld

#ChiomaUzodimma

Barr. Chioma Uzodimma, FIMC, CMC
First Lady of Imo State,
GoodHope Women Flourish Initiative,
Secretary, Renewed Hope Initiative and
Chairperson, First Ladies Against Cancer