By Doris Obinna
In commemoration of Children’s Day celebration, a non-governmental organisation, the Mothers And Marginalised Advocacy (MAMA) Centre, has called for urgent collective action among national and international actors for improved healthcare access for children, especially girls.
In a statement, Executive Director, MAMA Centre, Ms. Chioma Kanu, expressed concern over the critical lack of access to essential healthcare services for girls. Kanu alerted that this deficiency increases their vulnerability to exploitation.
She advocated for the provision of accessible and affordable healthcare for all girls and women, particularly in underserved communities.
In addition, the NGO urged collective action for a Nigeria where every girl can grow up safe, educated, and free from exploitation. It bemoaned that the essential needs of Nigerian girls and vulnerable populations are frequently neglected.
Kanu said, “MAMA Centre, as an organisation founded and led by survivors, women, and girls who survived modern slavery/domestic servitude and sexual assault, works to ensure that the critical and often overlooked needs of Nigerian girls and vulnerable groups are addressed.”
She called upon the Nigerian government, international organisations, civil society groups, and the public to unite and tackle the needs of children, especially girls.
“Drawing upon lived experiences, we urge increased awareness, targeted interventions, and stronger protective measures to safeguard this vulnerable population,” Kanu said.
It also stressed the intolerable vulnerability of girls and women in conflict settings.
Citing the experience in North East Nigeria, where the girl-child and some boys were abused and violently exploited, MAMA Centre said International Children’s Day should be a time to reflect on the plight of all vulnerable children and bring hope to them.
“Studies indicate that children form the largest group of victims of trafficking in Nigeria, both internally and externally. In 2020, NAPTIP reported four cases of children exploited in the commercial sex industry, with another five cases in the first half of 2021.
“In the context of the conflict in North East Nigeria, between 2017 and 2019, the UN verified that 204 children (195 girls and 9 boys) were affected by sexual violence, including exploitation, slavery, and forced marriage, attributed to Boko Haram and Nigerian Security Forces,” Kanu stated.
According to reports, Boko Haram kidnapped over 1,000 children in Nigeria since 2013, with girls often forced into sexual slavery and “marriage” with fighters.
Girls and children in Nigeria are subjected to various forms of modern slavery, including forced labour, a situation where children are in domestic service, often as “house girls” facing abuse. There is also exploitation of young girls to produce children for sale, also known as “baby factories.”
The organisation bemoaned that the above-mentioned issues are deeply intertwined with modern slavery. “We understand the insidious ways in which vulnerability can be exploited,” said Kanu.