Lack of good parenting skills among mothers has been described as the major reason responsible for the increased cases of teenage pregnancy, rape and defilement among adolescent girls in the society.
President Platform for Helping Women and Youth (PHWAY) Initiative, Nneka Iyke-Okafor stated this recently in Lagos at a one day forum organised by the organisation to mark this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD).
Okafor lamented the incessant cases of unwanted pregnancy and blamed mothers and aunties, adding that their failure to personally take care of their young girls has resulted to increased cases of teenage pregnancy and other vices associated with the girl child.
“Some mothers lack parenting skills and such mothers need to be trained on how to monitor their girl child. Mothers should not delegate their God–given responsibility of taking care of their children to anyone. Real mothers should have follow up mechanism on these young people so as to groom them in such a way that they will be responsible members of the society.
“The family is the foundation of the society and whatever happens in the home transcends in the society. If these young girls are well protected and trained, they will not only be useful to themselves in the future, but to their families and the society at large,” she added.
On the other hand, she frowned at mothers who abandon their children in the hands of maids and other care givers because of their professions.
“Mothers should be wise in their decisions, such jobs that do not permit them to know what goes on in their homes should not be contracted, if possible, they should engage in careers that will allow them work from the home,” she said.
Given a brief background of her organisation which was established nearly a decade ago, she said it focuses on empowering women and girls so that they will live beyond poverty line.
PHWAY initiative, she also explained, aimed to encourage the women folk and youth to live godly.
Ngozi Okpalakunne
