October 11th is celebrated globally as the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC). A day which aims to recognize girls’ rights and challenges, promote girls’ empowerment and education and address disparities and inequalities faced by girls worldwide.
As part of celebrating this historic event, Mrs. Chizoba Ogbeche, National Vice President of NAWOJ Zone D, has called on governors of North-Central states, their wives, and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to prioritize girl-child education and safety. She urged them to make conscious efforts to improve educational opportunities and protect girls in schools.
This appeal coincides with the 2024 International Day of the Girl Child. The day’s theme, “Girls’ Vision for the Future,” highlights the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls’ voices and vision for the future.
She noted that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted resolution 66/170 declaring October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child on December 19, 2011 to address the challenges girls face across the world promoting girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.
Ogbeche decried the fact that Education Opportunities for Girls in Nigeria as published by UNICEF in June 2022 indicated that: “Poor retention in school is a major challenge: 11 per cent of learners, and even more girls, drop out of school at each grade level.
“…7.6 million girls are out of school in Nigeria: 3.9 million at the primary and 3.7 million at the junior secondary level. More than 50 percent of girls are not attending school at the basic education level. In each cohort one million girls drop out between the first and last year of primary school, and 0.6 million between primary six and JSS one.”
UNICEF further revealed that “gender parity in net attendance ratio is below 1.0 in 10 states, primarily in the North,” however, recommending that, “Supporting girls through increased secondary education and skills development is necessary to delay early marriage, child-birth, improve health and empowerment and drive economic growth.”
The vice president urged the governors, their First ladies and the Minister of FCT to revise the disproportionate gender parity in attendance ratio in their states by investing in the potential of the girl-child and supporting their vision for a better future.
“Invest in proven solutions accelerating progress towards a future in which every girl fulfils their potential,” Ogbeche urged.
On safety in schools, she maintained that, “There is the urgency for the strengthening of the inter-security network of the states to checkmate cross border crimes.”
Mrs. Ogbeche tasked North-central states’ First Ladies with spearheading initiatives to protect and promote girls’ rights, reproductive health, and empowerment.
