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A cross-section of pupils from various schools in Lagos flanked by Mr.
Jimi Agbaje and Mrs. Yinka Ogunde of Edumark at the take off of the
WATFON Scholar’s Programme in Lagos ... last Thursday
Nigerian
girls on Thursday joined their colleagues in the world to celebrate the
maiden International Day of the Girl-Child with stakeholders advocating
urgent end to teenage marriage in the country.
Before now, girls in some part of the
world particularly from the northern part of Nigeria are forced into
early marriage thus truncating their search for education and better
life in future.
But worried by this trend the United
Nations in the maiden edition of the International Day of the Girl
Child, chose ‘Ending Child Marriage’ as the theme of the celebration.
The UN has dedicated October 11 of every
year as a day during which the challenges facing the girl child would
be highlighted, strategies to empower them would be discussed and issues
that affect their fundamental human rights would be dealt with.
In his message during the event, the UN
Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon, said that investing in girls is a moral
imperative – a matter of basic justice and equality.
“It is an obligation under the
Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the
Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It is also
critical for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, advancing
economic growth and building peaceful, cohesive societies.
“For this inaugural day, the United
Nations is focusing on the issue of child marriage. Globally, around
one in three young women aged 20 to 24 — approximately 70 million —
were married before the age of 18. Despite a decline in the overall
proportion of child brides in the last 30 years, the challenge persists,
particularly in rural areas and among the poorest. If present trends
continue, the number of girls who will marry by their 18th birthday will
climb towards 150 million in the next decade,” he said.
Ki-Moon added that child marriage
divorces girls from opportunity and jeopardises their health, increases
exposure to violence and abuse, and results in early and unwanted
pregnancies – an often life-threatening risk.
“If a mother is under the age of 18, her
infant’s risk of dying in its first year of life is 60 per cent greater
than that of an infant born to a mother older than 19. Education for
girls is one of the best strategies for protecting girls against child
marriage. When they are able to stay in school and avoid being married
early, girls can build a foundation for a better life for themselves and
their families. And if they have already been married young, access to
education, economic opportunities and health services — including HIV
prevention and sexual and reproductive health — will help enrich their
lives and enhance their future.
“I urge governments, community and
religious leaders, civil society, the private sector, and families –
especially men and boys, to promote the rights of girls, including
through the relevant conventions, the Beijing Declaration and Platform
for Action, and the Programme of Action of the International Conference
on Population and Development. Let us be guided by the theme of today’s
observance – “my life, my right, end child marriage” – and let us do our
part to let girls be girls, not brides,” he said.
In Nigeria, a non-governmental
organisation, Beyond the Classroom Foundation and HACEY’s Health
Initiative, gathered over 200 secondary school girls together to
celebrate the day at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos under the
sub-theme ‘Health, Empowerment, and Rights of the Girl Child.’
During the event, some successful women
from various walks of life took time out from their busy schedules to
spend time with the girls.
One of them, a UN Ambassador, Mrs. Lami Phillips, shared her experience as teenager with the girls.
She said, “I grew up in a Christian
home. Every morning my parents and I would have devotion. To my parents,
instilling godly virtues in me was very important. I eventually grew
with two principles- ‘I can do all things through Christ that
strengthens me’ and ‘I am what I think I am.’ These two principles
helped me face challenges.
“There were times I found myself in the
midst of men and people who were much older than I, but I didn’t feel
intimidated. I believed in myself. This mentality has kept me going,”
she said.
Advising the girls, Phillips said, “I
want you all to know that there are no limits in life except the ones
you place for yourself. You must dream big. Stay away from things that
could jeopardise your future.”
The representative of the Lagos State
Ministry of Education, Mrs. Eke Musa, urged other non-governmental
organisations to support the government in protecting the girl child.
She said, “I appreciate the organisers
of today’s programme. The government alone cannot deal with the issues
surrounding the girl child. We all need to join hands together to
protect our girls. The society also needs to be aware of the rights of
the girl child and girls need to be aware of their rights.”
The President, Women Arise, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, urged the government to set up a National Children’s Commission.
“This body would help defend the rights
of the girl child. The government should also focus on reducing
inequalities between boys and girls and change discriminating laws
against the girl child.
“Our girls deserve the right to be
protected. The more united we are in asserting rights of the girl child;
the better for our nation. We must abolish all policies that have
been working against the girl child. Impunity must come to an end. Rape
cases should be dealt with thoroughly and not ignored,” she said.
A pupil of Baptist High School, Lagos,
who identified herself as Rusima, urged her colleagues to stay away from
immoral dealings.
“We have heard a lot about HIV/AIDS. The
disease is on the rampage. I urge young girls not to get sexually
active. They should not be involved in sex until their marriage,” she
said.
