How Nigeria’s Costly Aderibigbe emerged Executive Secretary of Global Youth Consortium Against FGM
By Timothy Agbor
A Nigerian activist, Dr Costly Aderibigbe has been elected as the Executive Secretary of Global Youth Consortium Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) under the joint program of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children Fund (UNCIFEF).
The Apex Seat of the Global Youth Consortium which is the Executive Secretary was keenly contested for recently and a Nigerian Survivor-Activist, Costly Aderibigbe who is popularly know for her work on ending FGM won. She emerged with 44 votes as closely followed by a Senegalese He4She Champion, Hyaceinthe Coly, who would deputise Aderibigbe.
Other executive members elected are Rahinatu Ibrahim from Ghana and Awwal Issa Rachid from Republic of Niger For Programs, Monitoring and evaluation; Leshan kereto and Doris Ikechukwu For Resources Mobilization and partnership; Tonny Olela for Administration. Maryam Monohammed Bin Samer and Esha Mohammed for Communication and advocacy.
Speaking during the official launch of the consortium in commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance For Female Genital Mutilation recently, the new Executive Secretary, Costly Aderibigbe reiterated on the mandate of the Consortium to end FGM by 2030 and highlighted the need for Head of States and other diplomats to involve youth in round table dialogue on social changes.
She said, “There is no better time than now to involve young people if we are serious about ending Female Genital Mutilation in this generation.”
Aderibigbe is a medical doctor and founder of Value Female Network, Where she holds State leaders accountable and drive grassroots initiatives that can eliminate FGM in communities. She believes every girl is Costly and continues to engage over a thousand girls annually via a Regional Adolescent Boot Camp supported by UNFPA.
How Global Youth Consortium Against FGM Was Formed
UNFPA and UNICEF which are the United Nation Institutions that guide against harmful traditional practices, including FGM, have over the years worked actively together under a collaborated-Scheme known as the “Joint Program to End FGM.”
This scheme, with the sole intent of achieving a world free of FGM, has mapped out diverse Action Plans to achieve this and it has mirrored different phases of the program in the past decade. However, recent data reveals that if FGM must end by 2030, the progress has to be X10 faster.
In order to accelerate progress as well as to reach the demography of the most affected population which is the young people, the Global Youth Consortium Against FGM was birthed. Beyond being the core strength of the UNFPA; Youth Inclusion is beyond a strategic but more of result oriented for the United Nations.
The Global Youth Consortium thus began with a Roundtable discussion in Simeone Senegal around November 3rd-5th 2021.
This meeting had more than 70 young persons from over 35 counties meet with High-level diplomats, Ambassadors and indicated the need to be more involved in the Table towards ending FGM by year 2030.
The peak of the meeting was the birth of the Consortiums Vision “Youth Leading a world Free of FGM by 2030”. The meeting also agreed that to help achieve this vision, The Consortium will need an Executive Secretariat that include skilled young persons with definite roles.
When elections were declared open, different persons from the member nations indicated interest across various positions. From the Executive Secretary to Under Secretaries. The election guidelines was first nomination and after which elections amidst the highest 3 for various position.
No fewer than 39 Young persons from across the globe with similar intent to actualise the Consortiums vision showed their readiness to serve. The election was a further indication of the peculiarity of young people to help see a generation that would zero down on FGM. Young people from Kenya to Yemen to Senegal to Somalia to Mauritania to Turkey all were all out for this position but the first 3 could proceed for the elections.
