Int’l day of the girl: Celebrating opportunity, gender equality

All hands must be on deck to fight all forms of discriminations and violence against the girl-child. Together we need to always say No to Gender inequality and inequitable treatment being meted on girls, in order to liberate the indigent girl children. The society also needs to address issues bothering on child marriage among others.

Some cultures even see the girl child as an economic burden on the family. They believe girls do not significantly contribute to the family income and as such should be married off for large dowries. This notion is wrong and should be discarded because when given the chance, girls could be positive agents of change that would impact excellently on the society. Our belief systems about the values of girls must also change, because these days, girls are making waves. They no longer see themselves as inferior to their male counterpart but a force to reckon with at any circumstances.

This year, the World is celebrating achievements, by with and for girls. So, let’s sensitize and enlighten everyone in our communities and the public at large that the girl-child is equal to the task and as the saying goes “what a boy can do a girl can do better”. Therefore, the society needs to curb appalling practices that would deter the girl-child from carrying out her God given talents and role as a future woman.

Girls are moving, they are unscripted and unstoppable. Therefore, it is our collective responsibility as government, stakeholders, societies, religious body, traditional rulers to educate the masses on the role of the girls-child and raising the campaign as laid down by the United Nations on the rights of the girls. Girls need to be loved, cherished and taken care of to be able to contribute their quota to nation building.

Oluwakemi Sodehinde, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State