As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, Amnesty International has strongly called for the reintegration of girl survivors of Boko Haram and military abuses in the North-Eastern region of the country.
Speaking on Friday in Abuja, the Program Manager of Amnesty International, Barbara Magaji, on the occasion organized by Amnesty International to commemorate the day, called for the empowerment of the girl child in the country.
Magaji, who delivered the interactive talk on “Girls for girls against violence,” said the government must not forget some of the Chibok girls still in the custody of the Boko Haram insurgents in the Sambisa forest.
According to her, some of the girls have become mothers of children against their wishes as they were reportedly abused sexually by their abductors.
She said, “Some of them are back with children of the terrorists, and the Federal Government needs to take care of them, reintegrate them back into society, and empower them. The government should help them attend to their needs”.
The Program Manager of Amnesty International urged the girl child to be obedient and reject intimidation of whatever form while mentioning women like Dr. Nkojo Iweala and Amina Mohammed, whom she said are role models to the women folks.
Magaji enjoined the gathering of girls drawn from various secondary schools in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for the program to always report any form of violence against them to their parents.
The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on October 11, as a crucial platform to illuminate the challenges faced by girls worldwide, particularly in the context of human rights abuses and violations such as Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (CRSV) and the need to protect their rights.
Highlights of the program include a drama presentation titled “There is a Crisis,” as well as a panel discussion on the meaning of empowerment for the girl child.
