01/05/2026
What does commitment to change look like to you?
For the women of Akinrinade Community (Ife North LGA, Osun State), it looked like walking through the rain, leaving behind their stalls, shops, and daily hustle, to sit together and have a difficult, but necessary conversation.
Despite the downpour, the women showed up .Helsi's advocacy visit with supportsfrom UNFPA Nigeria UNICEF UNFPA West and Central Africa, UNFPA Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre Action Health Incorporated on ending Female Ge***al Mutilation (FGM) became more than just a meeting, it became a statement: that this issue matters, and that these women are ready to engage it head-on.
The room was alive with voices, community women who are not only custodians of tradition but also powerful drivers of change.
Together, we unpacked:
•The different types of FGM
• The health risks that have been normalized for too long
•The different misconceptions of FGM
• The psychological impact often left unaddressed
• The legal implications of FGM
• And the human rights concerns that demand urgent attention
We also reflected on the past; why FGM was practiced, and what challenged its place in today’s realities.
Even with the sound of rain in the background, something deeper resonated. There was openness. There was curiosity. There was a growing resolve.
Support was secured, not just for upcoming anti-FGM activities, but for a shift in thinking led by the very women who influence homes and generations. Because when women show up, despite the odds, they don’t just attend conversations, they move them forward.
💬 What inspires communities to choose change, even when it’s inconvenient?
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