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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Save the Children has tasked the Federal and State Governments to eliminate harmful practices hindering the development of women.
It particularly frowned at early girl child marriage in some cultures, noting that the practice negated the rights of the girl child.
Its Director of Advocacy, Campaign, Communication and Media, Amanuel Mamo, at the celebration of IWD recently in Abuja, said promoting women’s economic empowerment begins with acknowledging the impact of investments in women and girls as individuals.
“As we are marking the International Women’s Day, Save the Children International calls up on all critical stakeholders, including the government at the national, state and local area level to: Scale up, replicate and maintain some of the best practices we have in some states in providing social protection services to women, girls;
“Creating a national movement of ending child marriage; a national movement of sending back all girls to school;
“All State governments to develop costed implementation strategy and plan for the Child Protection Law (Child Rights Act).
“It is time for all critical stakeholders to come together to agree on the seriousness of the matter and act jointly so that the future will be brighter for todays girl child and tomorrow’s women.”
Mamo said that in 2023, Save the Children reached close to 25 million children and household members (24% directly and 76% indirectly) in Nigeria.
He said of the more than 6 million participants reached directly, 38% were children and 64% were girls, adding that of the 25 million reached directly and indirectly, 53% were children.
“Currently our programmes in Nigeria covers both humanitarian response and development programmes and include multi-thematic programmes in Child Protection, Education, Health, WASH & Nutrition, and Child Rights Governance.
“The Save the Children Nigeria Country Office has the organisation’s largest scale Humanitarian Emergency and Refugee Response programming in the
region.
“In many countries where national investment on women and girls is insignificant or unavailable, there are huge gender equality gaps, socio-economic insecurity challenges that the women and girls are facing today, including early, child and forced marriages, violence, abuse, and trafficking, among others.
“Child marriage is one of the most grievous forms of violence perpetrated against girls. It is a human rights violation and a form of Gender Based Violence. Forms of Violence Against Children are – Physical, Sexual, Emotional – Child Marriage is all of these 3 combined.
“It is estimated that 2 in every 5 women were married as children in Nigeria. Investing on children, girls, is investing in the women tomorrow.
“The level of women empowerment tomorrow, the level of financial liberty of women tomorrow, depends on how and what we invest on the girl child today,” he added.
