Prof. O.A Ladipo, President & CEO of Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH) has said that empowering adolescent girls through access to free and compulsory education remains one of the key strategies for protecting women and girls in Nigeria’’
This was made known in a statement signed by ARFH communications officer, Esther Agbarakwe and released to NewsWireNGR
Today, Saturday October 11 marks the United Nations International Day for the Girl Child and in recognition of the importance of investing in and empowering girls during adolescence and preventing and eliminating the various forms of violence they experience, the United Nations declares the theme of International Day of the Girl Child for 2014 as Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence
The statement read
“ARFH believes that building a healthier future requires communities to support and protect the girl child through providing access to quality education and proper livelihood. The challenge of girl’s education in Nigeria rest on various factors-cultural, socio and economic. From early marriage and child bearing, domestic duties to parent’s preference of their sons schooling than for their daughters. These barriers loom large in many communities in Nigeria. Denying the girl child her right to quality education effectively denies her all other human rights and shrinks the chances of her succeeding generations particularly the chances of her daughter to develop to her own fullest potential. Must be not only let girls survives, we must encourage them to lead. Education provides such opportunity.”
“As girl-child education is crucial for sustainable national development, ARFH is working with partners to provide support to women and girls in disadvantage communities through various intervention programmes especially in northern Nigeria.”
“ARFH remains committed to working with the government and partners provide support girls and women. ARFH is involved as a partner in the forthcoming Women and Girls Summit which is being convened by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Centre for Women Development and Friends Africa in commemoration of the United Nations International Day of the Girl Child. Themed “Reinforcing the Agenda for Girl Child Education”,
This unusual gathering will convene over 1000 women and girls and create a platform for high level dialogue and strategic interventions on current issues affecting women and girls in Africa.
