By Williams Danjuma, Gombe
Ahead of the International Day of the Girl-Child celebration on 11th October, Bauchi and Gombe stakeholders’ discussion focused on efforts needed to end early child marriage.
The one-day stakeholders engagement held in Gombe on Thursday was organized by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Bauchi Radio Corporation (BRC).
Theme of this year’s celebration is, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
Stakeholders at the meeting included traditional leaders, women’s groups, partners, media, and girls who reflected on progress made, amplified girls’ voices, and discussed practical ways to strengthen support for the rights of girls, their wellbeing, skills and opportunities.
Ladi Alabi, is the Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Bauchi field office. She stressed the need for a wholistic approach towards the Girl-Child development.
She noted some socio-cultural practices that has continued to negatively affect the child over the years, stressing that these are some of the things UNICEF has been trying to put in the front burner of their activities aimed at protecting the girl child.
She outlined a lot of the challenges faced by the girl child requiring urgent attention in the area of health particularly the negative effects if VVF that comes as a result of early marriage.
She pointed out the need to empower girls educationally to be able to navigate through the negatives and contribute their quota to nation building.
Discussants decried how girls have been deprived of their rights as a result of some sociocultural norms which has continued to endanger the girl child and preventing her from contributing her quota to nation building.
The engagement gave some of the girls the opportunity to share their experiences while reflecting on how some initiatives has contributed to their wellbeing, confidence, and personal development.
They pointed out the need for the right mentorship, erase the mindset of a girl oriented profession as there are many children out there that have lost hope of ever getting education.
While appealing for a joint action to break the culture of early marriage, they called for more awareness, more efforts in educating the girl child, improvement in the socio-economic wellbeing of Nigerians, particularly poor parents among many others, which they attributed as causes of child marriage.
According to them, most of the girls need support to break the culture as it will give them courage to pursue their dreams, build their confidence, inspire them to grow responsibly and pursue their education.
In an interview with newsmen shortly after the event, the UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafiq, said the engagement was an opportunity for UNICEF along with other sectors such as health, education, nutrition, social policy to advocate for ending child marriage.
She said, “If child marriage will not end, girls will not get the right opportunity to grow to their best potentials and if girls are behind, the nation will be behind”, while stressing that positive parenting remains a key intervention.
She stated also that the greatest investment on the girl child at the moment is education. “I have seen in many countries, access to education to every girl child, disability inclusion is very important and every child everywhere should have equal access to education.
“This has been the best option with multiple outcomes and benefits. The girls are not married out early, they study, they are career oriented, a productive part of the society, they bring up the families in the best possible manner, so the whole generation benefits”, she emphasised.
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