Reps Task Stakeholder On Girl-Child Education, Empowerment

The House of Representatives has issued a call to action, urging the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and relevant stakeholders on the importance of educating and sensitising adolescent girls about the perils of drug and alcohol abuse.

The lawmaker from the All Progressive Congress (APC) representing the Kosofe Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, on Thursday, brought forth a motion titled: “Commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child: ‘Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being”, aimed to address the critical issues faced by adolescent girls in Nigeria.

She stressed the need for vocational skills acquisition training for girls, provided by Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) responsible for their training and empowerment. This move aims to keep girls engaged and away from the dangers of drug abuse.

In response to the urgent need to support survivors of sexual abuse, the House called on the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the Maryam Babangida National Center for Women Development, and the National Agency Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) to establish well-equipped rehabilitation shelters across all 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

To combat the issue of out-of-school girls, the House called on the Federal Ministry of Education to implement compulsory free education for girls nationwide.

The House entrusted the Committee on Women’s Affairs with the task of ensuring compliance with these resolutions across relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.

The motion presented by Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, highlighted that 11th of October is celebrated globally as International Day of the Girl-Child with the theme, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being,” underlines the importance of addressing the challenges that girls face in society.

The House recognizes this day as an opportunity to address issues such as child marriage, violence against girls, education deprivation, and other difficulties encountered by girls.

The motion also acknowledges the rights of adolescent girls to a safe, educated, and healthy life, emphasising the importance of investing in their leadership.

It points out that, in many countries, girls are systematically disadvantaged due to patriarchy and power dynamics, with a significant number being out of school.

The House expresses concerns about out-of-school girls engaging in harmful behaviours, emphasising the need for investment in girls’ rights under international conventions.

The House also raises awareness of the alarming trend in Nigeria, where young girls who are sexually abused often return to the same abusive environment after police intervention.

The motion emphasises the critical role of these investments in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

“The House is also aware that adolescent girls have the right to a safe, educated, and healthy life, investing in girls’ leadership includes creating space and platforms for girls to raise their voices at every level of policymaking;

“The House is further aware that in most countries, patriarchy and power dynamics afford boys comparative advantages compared to girls in the most domain; the last survey from UNICEF revealed that 18.5 million children are out of school, and out of this number, 60% are girls a factor that left them behind across multiple dimensions.

“The House is worried about the high number of out-of-school girls that engage in drugs and other vices, throughout history, girls have been systematically held back and undervalued in society.

“The House informed that investment in critical steps such as the Girls Rights under the Convention of the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) will help to fast track the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

“The House also informed that the current trend in Nigeria reveals that young girls who are sexually abused by their parents/guardians, return to the same house where they were abused after police intervention,” the motion reads.