As the world marked the International Day for the Girl Child, calls have gone to government at all levels in Nigeria and faith-based organisations to act urgently to save girls from certain trends ongoing in the society.
Such trends include indecent dressing, craze for money, clubbing and reckless lifestyles seen to be gradually taking over girl children in the country.
Patrick Ochei, Child Protection activist, said: “Unless something is urgently done, the trends would continue unabated against these beautiful creatures of God.
“Rather than looking the other way, action should be on the inclusion of moral, sex, entrepreneurship policies towards Girl-Child Education.
“I suggest that government at all levels should formulate policies geared towards conscious moral lessons, sex education and entrepreneurship training as part of the education policy for the Girl-Child,” said Ochei, a member of Delta State Child Rights Implementation Committee.
Read also: Sustaining interventions on girls’ education in Nigeria
Ochei, who also is a journalist, is promoting the advocacy amidst the challenges faced by girl children when they are not morally sound to handle some pressures associated with female development in today’s society, revealing that irresponsible men are always on the prowl looking for girl children to devour.
“By putting the girls through moral lessons, sex education and entrepreneurship training consciously and early in life, the tendencies of being better informed about life, its prospects and challenges would be high,’ he said.
He posited that when girls are brought up on high moral standards where they know the dangers of early sex and giving-in to sexual pressures by peers, including being productively engaged in skills alongside their formal education, they tend to be strong enough to withstand pressures of social vices and moral decadence that tend to derail them in life.
On the other hand, he advised the The Girl-Child to be vocal and cultivate the culture of speaking out when molested by irresponsible men in the society.
“The female gender is naturally a prey to men, not to talk about girl children who are most times vulnerable and can easily succumb to intimidation, especially after being abused,” he observed.
On the part of parents, he advised that they must help in this circumstance by ensuring that their girl children know about sex early in life.
“They must be taught how to protect themselves against sexual harassment and scream for help where necessary,” Ochei admonished.
Read also: UNICEF advocates new initiatives to keep girls in school
According to him, “In all of these, there must be conscious policy of government to protect the Girl-Child.
“A lot of people are getting off the hook after breaking the Child Rights law. There must be justice for the Girl-Child who is abused and the law must always punish offenders of the law no matter their status in the society.
“In this regard, I appeal to Delta State House of Assembly to expedite action on the Child Rights Amendment Bill, 2024, to further strengthen it to meet up with the current realities in dealing with issues of child protection.
“The Federal Government must also look into areas of the Child Rights Act of 2003 that need strengthening for optimal protection of the Girl-Child.
“I strongly believe that the way we handle the Girl-Child in Nigerian society would definitely play a huge role in how we curtail future crimes and criminalities. This is because, from the girl you have a woman who eventually becomes the trainer of both the male and the female leaders in the society.
“When a Girl-Child blossoms into a proper woman and decent mother, she would parent responsible leaders that are capable of managing the affairs of our nation, he said, adding that proper womanhood is all about responsible nationhood.
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