Parents around the world have been charged to invest in today’s adolescent girls in other to have stronger and secure citizens in the nearest future.
The call was made by the Secretary-General of the United Nation Ban Ki-Moon on Wednesday at an event held in Lagos to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.
Ki-Moon, who was represented by Mr. Oluseyi Soremekun, Information Officer, United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), reiterated that there is need for everyone to work in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in making sure that every girl has the opportunity they deserve.
According to the Secretary-General, “Let us resolve to invest in today’s adolescent girls so that tomorrow they can stand strong as citizens, political leaders, entrepreneurs, head of their households and more. This will secure their rights and our common future”.
He also stated that the purpose of the day is to create awareness in ensuring that girl child is protected against child marriage and unwanted pregnancy, against HIV transmission, stay safe from female genital mutilation, acquire the education and skills needed to realise her potential.
In his words, “The SDG targets also requires, ensuring their sexual health and reproductive rights. Girls everywhere should be able to lead lives free from fear and violence. If we achieve this progress for girls, we will see advances across society,” Ki-Moon submitted.
Speaking at the occasion, on the topic titled: “Travails and Realities – Creating a Safe Cyber Environment for Girls”, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, President, Campaign for Democracy, talked about the challenges of the internet and social media on the girl child.
She also said that the internet, which has great advantages on the society, has brought so many doom on girls around the world. She reiterated that social media have been abused in so many ways.
According to her: “Despite the importance of the internet, it has been abused in many ways, today, we have Cyber fraud, rumor mongering, privacy breaches, pornography, barbaric acts against female gender such as rape, abuse of female through the internet among others,” Odumakin said.
The President seized the opportunity to condemn girl child marriage and the use of internet for terrorism, stating that these are part of the challenges of the internet. She later advised parents and guidance to cultivate the habit of reorientation for girl child on the use of social media, increase awareness for digital vices, creating legislation for safety and protection of the internet and drastic reduction of poverty rate.
In her own address, Mrs. Josephine Effah- Chukwuma, President of Project Alert, a Non-Governmental Agency, submitted that the greatest challenge of parenting is parenting at this digital age. Reiterating that the internet is being used to expose file child to different vices which are detrimental to the survival and existence of female gender.
Chukwuma admonished the girls to be vigilant of who they move with and what they are exposed to because the internet is being used to perpetrate all sort of evils such as rape, sexual abuse among others.
She confirmed that most of the perpetrators are closer or know to the family and there is every reason for all girl child to be sober and brace up to the present challenge post to female gender. In the same vein, she seized the opportunity to advise parents to be friends to their daughters and always gate keep what their daughters watch and her exposed to.
“Mothers are to brace up and rise to the present age challenge, parents should be friends to their daughters, avoid indecent exposure to avoid and reduce the increase of sexual abuse in this present age,” she said.
While feeding questions from newsmen, Chukwuma made a clarion call to government at different levels to rise to the challenges of Cyber crime and fraud because impunity is now the order of the day.
While addressing the crowd at the event on the topic titled “Legal Rights of the Girl Child, Mrs. K.B. Ayeye of the Chief Magistrate Court 1Tinubu, reaffirmed that the essence of the International Day of the Girl Child is to help girl Child on their rights and to help them secure the future of the child, to guide the child in fulfilling her purpose in life.
She confirmed further that the Child Act Law has been adopted to secure and enforce the right of the Girl Child which include; right to survival, association, names, religion, movement, freedom from any form of discrimination, right to dignity, health, education and parental care among others.
According, to the Chief Magistrate, the Child Law Act protects a girl from child marriage, exposure to criminal substances, exploitative labour, being bought, sold or hired, no sexual intercourse under the age of 18 which attract life imprisonment.
In her words, “The child Act Law kicked against early marriage for girls, female genital mutilation, undue torture of girl child and gender indiscrimination. Ayeye later admonished the female participants to be wise and understand their right in the society.
Across the world, October 11 has been declared as Girl Child Day by the United Nation.
