By Folasade Akpan

Some young girls have identified lack of access to quality education, cyber bullying, low self-esteem and lack of mentorship as issues that deter them from reaching their full potential in life.

They spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at a forum to commemorate the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC)with the theme “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership and our Wellbeing.”

The forum was organised by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the British High Commission.

Miss Deborah Evbotokhai, one of the speakers at a panel discussion said access to quality education would serve as major boost to achieving the aspirations of a girl.

She added that “sometimes when a girl even has access to education, you find out that all the necessary amenities such as books, chairs and tables are not available.

 “In some of these places where there are no enough teachers, when they find teachers who are even willing to teach, there is the issue of insecurity.

“We also have cyber bullying, low self-esteem leading to mental health issues as some of our most pressing challenges.”

On her part, Miss Nabila Abubakar, said many girls begin their menstrual cycle without having the necessary information about what it means and how it may impact their lives or their education.

She said it is important for parents, guardians and the society to support girls whenever they have problems with their menstrual cycle.

Miss Aisha Muazu of the Global Girl Leaders Advisory Group, said the IDGC is to celebrate the power, potential and talent of girls all over the world.

“We are gathered here today to acknowledge the immense contributions that girls make to the society from their innovative thinking to their remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.

“The girl child has a lot of challenges and obstacles but in spite of all these, we still shine bright, make a difference in the world and on this day, we all come together to show our support for one another.

“For the millions of girls around the globe who face daily challenges, gender discrimination, limited access to education, discrimination and healthcare services, in spite of these, we are breaking barriers.

“So, as we come together today, let us commit to ensuring that every girl has the chance to reach her full potential”, she appealed.

The Wife of the Governor of Kwara, Mrs Olufolake Abdulrazaq, said it is time to make sure the rights of the girl-child are promoted to become whatever she wants to be in life.

According to her, adolescent girls have a right to safe education and the future is assured when investments are made in that regard.

Abdulrazaq also urged girls to embrace skills and vocational learning alongside schooling as this would guarantee profitable ‘side hustles’ for them.

On the issue of girls still in captivity by abductors, she said efforts should be intensified to make sure they regain freedom.

Dr Rownak Khan, the Deputy Representative of UNICEF in Nigeria, said the organisation had been advocating and working with government to make sure there is enough investment on girls’ issues.

According to her, the investments which come in different forms, include basic social services to make sure that girls have access to quality education, and all the services that relate to health and nutrition, water and sanitation such as menstrual hygiene.

The Development Director, British High Commission, Mr Chris Pycroft, said that through its programmes and advocacy, the commission is supporting women and girls affected by the conflict in Northeast and tackling gender-based violence.

According to him, adolescent girls should face no constraints in realising their full potential.

He said “our girls’ education programmes have already supported 1.5 million additional girls to access schooling in six states since 2012.”(NAN)

Edited by Hadiza Mohammed-Aliyu

By Olatunde Ajayi

The Action Health Incorporated (AHI), an NGO in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), has reiterated its commitment to stop Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Nigeria.

The Programme Coordinator, AHI, Ms Fatima Idris, who spoke on the sideline of a three-day capacity building on the use of digital technology on Friday, said FGM violates girls right.

The three-day capacity building was organised for selected 40 adolescent girls in Ibadan.

Idris noted that the objectives of the capacity was to increase the knowledge of FGM through the use of digital technology skills, mobilse and train the selected girls to become champions of FGM who would continue to coordinate FGM school clubs after the training.

She noted that FGM could be described as all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

According to her, FGM brought complications such as intense pain, excessive bleeding, urinary inconvenience, difficulties during menstruation, clitoral neuroma and difficulties during sexual intercourse and childbirth among others.

“FGM violates a series of well established human rights principles, norms and standard such as right to freedom from torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment.

“We have 30 in-school adolescent girls and 10 out-of-school adolescent girls from different schools and communities participating in the training.

“The training is exposing the participants to digital content creation skills to raise FGM awareness and the best three girls after the programme will go home with laptops.

“We are also teaching them how to pass the skills acquired to other girls in their various schools and communities around them.

“There will be a post training follow up visit to benefiting schools and communities to monitor the level of implementation across the schools and communities,” she said.

Also speaking, Director, The Gender/FGM Analyst, UNFPA, Uzoma Adedeji, said that any alteration, mutilation or cutting of female genitalia significantly alters the ability to perform physiological functions like childbirth.

She added that the maternal obstetrical complications of female genital mutilation substantially increases the risk of maternal death.

In the same vein, Mrs Toyin Adelowokan of the Oyo State Ministry of Health, in her presentation, warned that FGM victims could suffer infection of the uterus and vagina ascending from the genital wound and necrotising fasciitis.

According to her, female genital mutilation process could also lead to the formation of a keloid scar because of slow and incomplete healing of the wound.

A participant, Victoria Anozie of Ibadan Municipal Grammar School, said that the training had exposed her to technology skills that could be used to raise awareness against FGM, online violence and other forms of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Also, another beneficiary from Hausa Community in Ibadan, Mariya Musa, thanked the organisers for the training, saying, “it will go a long way in reducing FGM practice in her community.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the capacity building featured presentation of laptops to best three participants and certificate to all the participants.(NAN)

Edited by Olawunmi Ashafa

By Aderogba George

An interest group, Hope Raisers Global Foundation (HRGF), on Sunday, commenced a move to advance the growth of women-led businesses in underserved communities.

The group, in partnership with Tech Herfrica and Onome Food Market, also an NGO, began the training at Durumi, Abuja camp of internally-displaced persons (IDPs).

Founder of HRGF, Mrs Angonimi David-Imeh, said that the move was aimed at giving the marginalised women in-depth financial management training as well as empowering and equipping them with essential skills.

David-Imeh said that the training was all about transforming women who were in the trade and agricultural sectors.

According to her, the initiative represents a crucial step, following a previous project that laid the foundation for digital empowerment among women in underserved communities.

She said that digital literacy training had earlier been provided to 50 women, adding that 26 of them were equipped with mobile devices to enhance their engagement in agriculture and trade.

David-Imeh stated that the initial training uncovered a stark reality, stressing that none of the women possessed the skills required to calculate their business sales, profits and losses.

“This knowledge gap perpetuated a cycle of poverty and hindered business growth.

“The initial training included comprehensive digital literacy and fundamental financial management concepts,” she said.

David-Imeh further stated that in previous trainings, participants were taught how to calculate business capital inputs, determine sales profits and losses and keep accurate financial records.

She said that the training was conducted in Hausa language to ensure accessibility, while each participant received a notebook to facilitate book keeping and reinforce their new knowledge.

“The impact of this training was nothing short of remarkable 100 per cent of the women now possess the ability to calculate their income and expenses accurately.

“All participants can effectively determine profit and loss. A unanimous eagerness among the women to initiate book keeping for their businesses has been expressed.

“Confidence has surged among participants in maintaining proper financial records,” she added.

According to David-Imeh, the group’s concern regarding writing in English has also been addressed, with women affirming their abilities to write in their local languages.

She said that in order to foster sustainability, local clusters and champions had been established to facilitate the training and guidance of other women in the community.

The HRGF founder stated that the approach would promote knowledge sharing and continuous learning within the IDP community.

She said that one of the women who exhibited significant potential for business growth received financial support to scale her business.

David-Imeh said that the support was expected to increase her income by at least 50 per cent and further validate the effectiveness of the approach and training given to the women.

According to her, the initiative underscores the importance of digital and financial literacy to the empowerment of low-income women.

She maintained that this kind of systematic approach was what the country needed to bring more women out of poverty. (NAN)

Edited by Yinusa Ishola and ‘Wale Sadeeq

By Yakubu Uba

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) on Thursday sensitised groups of Persons  With Disability in Borno on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) and Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH)

Addressing the groups, Dr Kyaw Wai Aung, a Sexual Reproductive Health Specialist with UNFPA said the programme was organised to ensure that no one was left behind in gettting the required knowledge of SRH and the fight against GBV.

Aung who reiterated the commitment of the fund to educate vulnerable people on thier right to information on GBV and SRH, urged them to always avail themselves of services available on ensuring their health and dignity.

The participants who were also supported with non food items for the males and dignity kits for the women, were urged to continue to availed themselves to skills acquisition training opportunities provided by the fund at some of its centre in Borno to get the needed support to be self reliant.

Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, the spokesman of the group, Malam Muazu Abubakar lauded the fund for sustaining its engagement with them.

Abubakar said his members who are vulnerable and subject to various forms of exploitation, particularly the women, have continue to gain a lot of useful information on GBV and reproductive health.

He said that some of the female members have already benefited from skills acquisition training provided by the fund. (NAN)

Edited by Sadiya Hamza