- Molan High School Ikotun wins secondary school debate contest in Lagos
By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
Extended Hands Foundation, in collaboration with Ford Foundation, has identified the urgent need to train gender-based violence, champions who will continue to educate and train other students in the fight against gender-based violence in society.
The organisations hosted an Inter-school debate competition among six secondary schools across Lagos state with the theme: “A world without Gender-Based Violence.” to further address the issue of gender-based violence.
This is prior to the success of the previous awareness and advocacy to schools which made a tremendous impact in the previous phases of the project based on the project evaluation and demands made by different schools.
The convener of the initiative, Nollywood Actress and Producer Stephanie Linus said the aim is to creatively engage the younger generation in vital conversations on gender-based violence.
Linus said the inter-school debate competition was a response to the impressive work of change agents across secondary schools in Nigeria, especially secondary schools that are our project partners.
She added that they got support from their partner, Ford Foundation, to advocate for the elimination of the barriers holding girls using various platforms and channels, tracking progress using designed monitoring technologies, building coalitions and mobilising relevant stakeholders, and groups in strengthening institutions to derive positive outcome and influence policies that can provide an opportunity for the students, raise awareness, explore innovative solutions to create a world where everyone can live free from violence and discrimination.
“We aim to unite, and guide Nigerian students on the path to become agents of transformation through the power of knowledge sharing.”
She advised the participants especially the students to report any attempt by anybody to harass them adding that anyone whose conversation makes them uncomfortable, should be reported to a school counsellor, or parents/guardian.
Linus offered some useful tips to the students and among other things, made them to be aware of the existence of sexual abuse. She advised them to learn to recognise strange behaviour in the opposite sex, move in groups whenever possible, avoid dark or lonely places with the opposite sex, and avoid others’ bedrooms and bathrooms. She also advised them to be careful in a suspicious environment of what they are given to eat or drink.
“The participants were also advised to always dress properly and learn to cry out if attacked no matter the person involved and to report to appropriate authorities; school counsellor, parent/guardian, teachers religious leaders etc of any unseemly behaviour towards them, stressing that they should say something when they see something.
Highlights of the event were the panel of distinguished social entrepreneurs and subject-matter experts who selected the winners of the debate competition after reviewing all the presentations.
” The representatives of the six schools are Molan High School, New Edition School, Great Lilly College, Ireti Senior Grammar School, Victoria Island Senior Secondary School, and Gbara Community Senior Secondary School participated in this highly competitive debate, with Molan High School, Ikotun, Lagos emerging as the winner.
Some representatives of the participating schools are now ambassadors to continue championing the cause in their respective schools and communities.
The foundation is committed to investing in the development of Nigerian society by equipping youths with the right capacities and proffering solutions to sustainable development goals.