International Girl Child Day: NGOs, Stakeholders Call for Improved Gender Inclusion, More Support
Coalition of Non-governmental Organizations, NGOs, Advocacy groups, and other major stakeholders have call for more inclusion of the female gender and the girl child on issues concerning the development of the country.
The cross section of the women, youths and female children also called for more support in the pursuit and advancement of their rights.
Speaking during the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child 2024, with the theme “Girls’ Vision for the Future” Team lead DO Foundation and the project coordinator of the event, Dr Dise Ogbise Goddy Harry, noted that the discourse of the girl child is on the global, which shows there’s a better future ahead.
Dr Goddy-Harry, who called for stronger collaborations with government, maintained that the reason for the celebration of the girl child includes the need to take a look at her challenges and see how to chart a way forward to see how she can become the best in the society.
She said “The theme is at, we are talking about the future of the girl child, if she doesn’t have any vision there’s no way she can become something in the society”
The importance of the girl child is been discussed all over the world and I think the girl child will become better in the next 10 years. It on the global table, I know they’ll be no issues of intimidation, and discrimination. The conversation has been on. The abuse child needs to speak up, they need to reach out to foundations like ours so we can help them, like we have done to a lot.
Also speaking, Mrs. Ann Obuebite, a senior lecturer in the Niger Delta University, and a strong advocate of the girl child, admonished the girls to believe in their selves in their pursuit in life, adding that whatever they desire to achieve in life lies in their hands.
“The celebration is also a reminder that we are not where we want to be, in as much as we are not where we use to be. We need to keep amplifying our voices until we get to where we want to be.
You need to believe in yourselves, and have that confident that you can be whatever you want to be in life. If you can think it, you can be it, don’t let anyone stop you and don’t stop yourself. Parents shouldn’t also limit their children, they are not just beneficiaries of change but agents of change themselves.
Mrs. Enobong Etuk-Akpan, urged the girl child to keep her head up and be conscious of who they are in the society, adding that gone are tha days when people think women can’t aspire to become what they want. We now have female pilots, Presidents and so on.
A young nurse, Miss Ebikombowei Okpako, appreciated the organizers for such celebration, noting that the rate of the molestation of the girl child has reduced drastically and more can still be achieved.
