Int’l Day of Girl Child: Gender Specialist laments discrimination, violence against girls
A Gender-based Violence Specialist, Barrister Mwalin Naomi-Abdu, has lamented the spate of discrimination, violence against girls, urging stakeholders to amplify the challenges victims.
She noted that it was possible to end barriers against girl-child, disclosing that it required concerted efforts to achieve.
Naomi-Abdu, who doubles as Vice Chairperson Nigerian Bar Association and International Federation of Women Lawyers Gombe State branch, made this disclosure on Wednesday, in a message to our correspondent.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the theme of International Day of Girl Child 2023 is “Invest in girls’ rights: Our leadership, our well-being”.
According to her, empowering a girl would yield the desired development in the country, urging stakeholders not to lose hope as they work towards unburdening victims.
She said, “Though these disheartening realities may seem overwhelming, we must not lose hope. We have the power to reshape these narratives, starting from our own spheres of influence. Empowering the girl child has consistently proven to empower an entire nation.
“As we observe this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, let us persistently strive to amplify the voices of young girls. Together, we can create a world where every girl is free to dream, learn, thrive, and achieve her goals, unburdened by discrimination or violence.”
Naomi-Abdu, while decrying the plight of girls in the society, stressed that teenage pregnancy remains a leading cause of mortality, which have encouraged by their challenges.
“Statistics reveal a troubling reality: almost 20 per cent of girls fail to complete lower-secondary school, and nearly 40 per cent are unable to complete upper-secondary education. In some regions, these statistics are even more alarming. Shockingly, approximately 90 per cent of adolescent girls and young women in low-income countries do not have access to the internet, while their male counterparts enjoy twice the online presence.
“Additionally, girls aged five-14 spend an astonishing 160 million more hours each day on unpaid domestic work than boys their age. This unequal distribution of unpaid labour only worsens in adolescence, profoundly impacting girls’ well-being. Disturbingly, three out of four new HIV infections among adolescents occur in girls, and teenage pregnancy remains a leading cause of mortality for them,” she added.
