October 11 was marked all over the world as International Day of the Girl Child. The day was marked in Nigeria with messages of hope from civil society groups. Senior Correspondent, ONYEWUCHI OJINNAKA, x-rays the dilemma of the African girl child.
The purpose of the declaration is to recognise the girl child’s rights and the unique challenges facing girls around the world, according to UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon
As the international community assesses, this year, the progress made under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and set goals to be achieved by 2030, girls born at the turn of the millennium have reached adolescence, and the generation of girls born this year will be adolescents in 2030.
As we reflect on the achievements of the development goals for the next 15 years, it is an opportunity to consider the importance of social, economic and political investment in the power of adolescent girls as fundamental to breaking the inter-generational transmission of poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination and achieving equitable and sustainable developmental outcomes.
Adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated and healthy life, not only during these critical formative years, but also as they mature into women. If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world both as the empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs and political leaders.
An investment in realising the power of adolescent girls upholds their right today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future, one in which half of humanity is an equal partner in solving the problems of climate change, political conflict, economic growth, disease protection and global sustainability.
The theme of 2015 edition is ‘The Power of Adolescent Girl: Vision for 2030’.
According to UN report, over the last 15 years, the global community has made significant progress in improving the lives of girls during early childhood.
In 2015, girls in their first decade of life are more likely to enrol in primary school, receive key vaccinations and are less likely to suffer from health and nutritional problems than were previous generations.
However, there has been insufficient investment in addressing the challenges girls face when they enter the second decade of their lives. This includes obtaining quality secondary and higher education, avoiding child marriage, receiving information and services relating to puberty and reproductive health, protecting themselves against unwanted pregnancies, sexually-transmitted infactions (STIs) and gender-based violence (GBV).
As the global community launches the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for implementation over the next 15 years, it is a good time to recognise the achievements made in supporting young girls, while at the same time aspiring to support the present and coming generation of adolescent girls, to truly fulfil their potential as key actors in achieving a sustainable and equitable world.
In recognition of the importance of investing in adolescent girls’ empowerment and rights both today and in future, the UN has called on its agencies, member states, civil society organizations (CSOs), private sector and other stakeholders to commit themselves in putting adolescent girls at the centre of sustainable development efforts by making critical investments in their present and future such as investing in high quality education, skills, training, access to technology and other learning initiatives that prepare girls for life, jobs and leadership; investing in health and nutrition suitable for the adolescent years, including puberty education, menstrual hygiene management and sexual and reproductive health education and services; promoting zero tolerance to physical, mental and sexual violence; enact and consistently implement social, economic and policy mechanisms to combat early marriage.
Others include: to invest in the creation and maintenance of social and public spaces for civic and political engagement, creativity and talent enhancement; promote gender-responsive legislation and policies across all areas, especially for adolescent girls who are disabled, vulnerable and marginalised and victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation.
The commitment by the global community to realise the potential of adolescent girls will directly translate into the girls as powerful and positive change agents for their own empowerment for advancing gender equality and for the sustainable advancement of their nations.
Issues
In Sierra Leone, girls are forced into early marriage because of poverty. A Sierra Leonean lady, Mariama Munia Zombo, who is Head of Advocacy and Communications with a non-governmental organisation known as PLAN in Sierra Leone, posits that poverty often leads parents to force girls to get married, adding that when a girl becomes pregnant, it is often seen as a disgrace and so parents want them married off.
Zombo also said: “There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that child marriage increased in Sierra Leone during the Ebola crisis, but no study has proven that child marriage actually increased.
In Nigeria, the whereabouts and rescue of 276 girls who were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14 last year from Chibok in Borno State still remains a mirage, as no person or authority has come to make a categorical statement of where they are.
An Ibadan-based Global Youth Leadership and Girl Child Foundation, in celebrating with the girls on their day, called for improved access to inclusive and equitable quality education for adolescent girls.
The executive director of the Foundation, Dr. Adepeju Oti, in her message, said: “Pre-pubertal and pubertal girls, especially in developing nations, were constantly faced with specific challenges including suppression and inequality due to their gender.
“They are being excluded from receiving quality secondary and higher education, are faced with early marriage, unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted infection and gender-based violence.”
She said it has become imperative to promote gender-responsive legislative policies to ensure the protection of the girl child and reduce cases of sexual slavery and exploitation.
“Our adolescent girls today are the ones who will be 30 in another 15 years. If all of them are given quality education, protected from sex predators and have access to quality healthcare, these girls will grow up to become educated and informed mothers.
“They will become entrepreneurs, political leaders, professionals and equal partners in development. It is only then that our collective development can become sustainable,” Oti stressed.
She further expressed hope that under the SDGs, government at all levels will commit adequate funds and other necessary resources to ensure its smooth delivery and implementation.
In marking the day and in solidarity with the girl child who is neglected and denied basic rights, Bose Agbonmerele, the executive director of Women’s Rights and Health Project (WRAHP), listed problems encountered by girl child as highway and street hawking, denial of education (in some regions), forced/early marriage, circumcision, violence, sexual harassment and torture, child trafficking, househelp, slavery and battering.
Others problems include physical abuse by over tasking, psychological abuse by confinement, physical abuse by tasking and emotional trauma among others.