Nkechi Ikpeazu, wife of Abia State, has said that the time has come to give the girl child her right of place to guarantee a rounded and stable society.
Ikpeazu, who stated this in Umuahia in a goodwill message to mark the 2022 International Day of the Girl-Child, noted that the theme of this year’s celebration was a wake-up call for the impendency of allowing girls to realise their full potential presently to enable them claim stakes in the future of humanity.
The Abia first lady disclosed that a number of problems confront the Nigerian girl child, directly and indirectly, thereby limiting her development. She named them to include sexual abuse, child labour, forced marriage, as well as discrimination in the family nucleus and society.
She expressed hope that the gender gap could be closed through education and technology since the world has become a global village where information and knowledge could be gotten at the speed of light.
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“Increasing access to Information and Communication Technology for the Girl Child, and propping the girl child to take up educative courses in STEAM subjects i.e. Science, Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics are one way of giving the girl child a boost to leadership position in the development of society,” Ikpeazu said.
The Abia number one woman added that the girl-child must be promoted as agents of change, protected from gender-based violence, inequalities and discrimination on many fronts.
She therefore, called on governments, community-based organisations, faith-based organisations, civil society groups, human rights groups, husbands and other stakeholders in society to devote more resources to developing, protecting and empowering the girl child.
