Hailing the international day of girl child

On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution to declare October 11 every year as the International Day of the Girl Child. The aim of the declaration is to recognize girls Rights and the unique challenges confronting girls to actualize their dreams around the world. However, the International Day of the Girl Child mainly focuses attention on the need to holistically and proactively address the socio-cultural, Economic and political challenges bedeviling girls from attaining greatness and promote girls development and empowerment as well as the fulfillment of their human Rights to compete favorably with their male counterparts.

According to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the Girl Child, adolescent girls have the rights to a safe, education and healthy life throughout the formative years to womanhood. Similarly, the Girl Child has enormous talents and potentials to develop and transform the World to an enviable height as mothers and future leaders. However, over a decade ago, the global community as parts of effort to galvanize support towards uplifting the virtues and dignity of girl child, has made significant and concerted effort with a view to project and improves the lives of the girl child through the provisions of various aids and assistance toward better the lots of girls. It is however pertinent to note that Nigeria government and other critical stakeholders have on different occasion made appreciable effort to drastically encourage parents and guidance on the need to pay adequate attention to develop and improve the educational needs of the girl child.

Sadly enough, girls globally are vulnerable to sexual molestation, abuse and exploitation during conflicts violence particularly in the refugee camps, hence the need to accord them maximum protections during arms conflicts and other internal crises toward ensuring full realisation of their dreams as mothers and future leaders. Moreover, Girl Child in Nigeria have been confronted with different challenges raising from force labour, house girls, hawking on the street, prostitution for survival and other forms of enslavement numerous to mention. Consequently, Nigeria government and other Humanitarian organizations working in the country have made concerted efforts in this regards through vigorous campaign and synergy to fight against the abuse of the girls child and out of school girls across the country. As the world mark yet another International Day for the girl child, leaders at all levels should make the best use of this opportunity to drum support against discrimination on education of the girl child.

Education as the name implies is the only viable legacy parents and government all over the world can bequeath into the lives of the girl child to prepare her morally, socially and politically for future responsibility no matter what it takes to get there. Appropriate and adequate sensitization and mobilization of critical stakeholders should be synergized to give the necessary attentions to the girl child education.

Finally, it therefore behooves on the parents and guidance to practically replicate and domicile the enormous contributions made by relevant authorities and the United Nations for the development of the girl child across the globe.

Shuaibu Danjuma, Bauchi.