By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), has stressed the need for education of girls’ in the country.
The foundation, said education of the girl child will avail them them opportunities to advocate for their own rights.
Speaking yesterday in Abuja to mark the International Day of the Girl, Oluwakemi Badamosi, AHF Director of Advocacy, Policy and Marketing, said the NGO is at the forefront of educating young girls in the country to be aware of their rights and speak on issues that concerns them.
“With the challenge we find ourselves today, there is the need to raise girls’ voices by supporting their right to safe and meaningful participation in all public decision-making.
“There is also need for government at all levels to address gender-based violence, including child marriage, by putting girls’ rights and gender equality at the centre.
“They should guarantee rights of all girls, including those impacted by different forms of inequality and discrimination.
“Girls should be given same opportunities as boys, to project their rights and standout in the society.”
Speaking at the programme which saw girls from various schools in the FCT, including school of the deaf, she called for the need to eradicate laws that are against women and girls.
“Certain laws that restrict women from achieving their full potentials should be abolished to allow them wax stronger. There are a lot of women making waves in the wider society, we need to train girls’ to allow them make their choices appropriately.”
Also speaking, Minister of Women Affairs, represented by Adekunle Balogun Hashiru, said the ministry adopted various policies to address discrimination against women and girls.
He said the development department in the ministry is at the forefront of address challenges faced by women and girls.
She noted that religious and traditional factors in the country are not favorable to women, but assured that the ministry will continue to place issues of women and girls in the front burner.
On her part, a volunteer, Paula Michael said, working with AHF bolster her stand on how to champion advocacy for girls’.
She said the NGO gives many young girls opportunities to speak on various challenges affecting them.