Stakeholders demand girl child empowerment to end victimisation

Experts have stressed the need to empower women and girls with life skills and in academics as a way of ending victimisation and other challenges of violence they experience in the society.

According to them women and girls go through diverse challenges of violence such as early marriage, genital mutilation and unbalanced number of young women in politics and leadership.

They made the call at a summit themed: “Raising Girls Summit” in Lagos, organised by Miss Nigeria Green Girl Company Limited (GGCL), a firm committed to amplifying the voices of the girl child with focus on secondary schools.

The CEO of GGCL, Dr. May Ikeora, said it was important to raise girls who are confident by promoting, projecting and changing the perception of the girl-child especially in relation to her physical and physiological development.

She urged the girls to maximise opportunities to speak up, share opinions and take action, while stressing the need for the society and government to focus on the family as the first and most important relationship for the development of the nation.

“Parents should be given the support they need to raise better girls today for greater women tomorrow,” she added.

Miss Nigeria, Chidinma Aron, said it was necessary to set up avenues to discuss and proffer solutions to issues pertinent with the girl child in Africa.

Reacting to the high turnout of secondary school students at the event, Aron said: “We want the girls to contribute to solutions proffered instead of just discussing the issues as adults without them being involved.”

According to her, a visit to schools exposed her to some challenges the students face.

“So you need to stand up for yourself and say no to be battered. We need to say no to keeping quiet about sexual harassment or abuses at the office. When your child complains about a problem seek ways to help,” Aron counseled parents.

Director of the United Nations Information Center for Nigeria (UNIC), Ronald Kayanja, noted that there has been progress in ensuring communities and the world at large understand the challenges the girl child is facing.

Kayanja encouraged girls to be involved in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), adding that UNIC intends to train young girls in Media and information literacy as a measure to prevent fake news.

A human right activist, Helen Ajayi noted that the girl child is the cornerstone of development for Nigeria, adding that educating them is the most vital and valuable way to grow a society.