Kwara state government government has canvassed adequate education and awareness for female children for them to escape societal exploitation.
Speaking at a conference jointly organised by Chidinma and Havilah Foundation and Seed of Praise Centre for Youth, Women, and Children Development Initiative to commemorate this year’s International Day of Girl Child in Ilorin on Friday, Permanent Secretary, ministry of Education, Mrs. Olanrewaju Bake, listed girls’ child exploitation as: poverty, gender discrimination, societal and religious limitations and rape, among others.
Represented by a Director in the ministry, Mrs. Victoria Funmilayo, Bake explained that the girl child faces various challenges globally.
“These challenges range from poverty, illiteracy, gender discrimination, religious limitation, economic factor, and sexual violence among others.
“Poverty is one of the most significant barriers facing the girl child.
“This makes some families to keep girl child at home for hawking and other domestic chores.
“In Nigeria, there are some social and gender norms that places a low value on girl education and promote boy child preference”, she said, adding that some cultural practices pose a lot of danger on the girl child.
According to her, adolescent girls in some climes drop out of school to be forced into marriage, “incidence of constant sexual harassment of the girl child and rape are major challengea facing the girl child,” she posited.
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To limit the challenges, she suggested awareness for gender inequalities and focus attention on how these barriers can be addressed just as she added empowerment for girl child.
She stressed that the girls’ child must be empowered with social, economic, political, educational and psychological tools.
Also represented by a Director, Ayanlola Omolola, the commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Sahadat Modibo Kawu, urged the students drawn from across the state to make life meaningful for themselves.
He urged the education stakeholders to include a future in which girls are valued, educated, and given the ability to lead in the vision for the girl child future.
“We must all work together to create a world in which girls can thrive and make a positive contribution to society”
She also urged lecturers at the event to consider the variety of challenges, including gender-based violence, limited access to education, economic inequality, and social expectations confronting the girls’ child.
“These challenges are critical issues that must be mentioned during our celebrations in order to plan for the future. On this note, all relevant government and non-governmental organizations must be prepared to support girls’ educational initiatives, mentor them, advocate for policy changes, and challenge harmful stereotypes”, she urged.
The secretary, Kwara NUJ council, Mahmood Alaya, in his keynote address, titled: “Promoting Adolescent Girls’ Formal Education Enrolment through Media Engagement and Visibility,” said being a girl should not determine what a girl child can achieve, where she can go, or who she can become.
“Sadly, for millions of girls around the world, this is not yet a reality,” he regretted.
He, however, described girls as not only resilient in the face of adversity but hopeful for a brighter future.
