By Chinenye Offor
“Radio Girl”, advocacy movie against molestation of girls has hit cinema in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that stakeholders in the public and private sectors, filmmakers and cinema goers attended the premiere of the movie at the Silverbird Galleria on Tuesday night in Abuja.
Mr Dede Oji, Producer and Director of “Radio Girl” said the movie was conceived to lend voice to the fight again sexual molestation of the girl child.
He urged girls to speak out whenever they were molested or face molestation attempt by anyone irrespective of the age, as that would help to curb the menace.
According to him, some victims fear to speak up because of the fear of stigmatisation.
He cited the story of the character in the movie, Dooshima, who was supposed to be outspoken but could not speak out initially because of the stigma associated with rape.
“This scenario in the movie about Doshima is something that happens to virtually every girl that has gone through rape.
“I am admonishing every rape victim to please speak out just like Doshima in the movie did because that is the only sure way of curbing the menace,
“I also want to advise parents not to put fear in their girl- child.
“This is because when a child is free to speak at the end of the day even when faced with a situation like what we saw in the movie she will be able to handle it better,” he said.
One of the movie reviewers, Ms Esther Suleiman, a pharmacist at the University College Hospital Ibadan, said that rape victims and families failed to report rape cases due to stigma associated with it.
She cited an example where victims and families want to talk about rape, but could not afford the services of a lawyer while others could afford the services.
Suleiman advised victims to visit the hospital and obtain a medical evidence , and report to the police even if they could not follow up the case immediately due to lack of money.
She said that those steps would help in future purposes in case the victim needed to re-visit the case adding that it would be easier to open the record and also get justice.
Mr Benjamin Obasi, Executive Director Administration, Every Life Matters Humanitarian Foundation (Elimh), said the girl child tend to emulate easily from what she saw and therefore called for more inclusive women participation in politics.
“Government should look into taking more women into politics, to enable them create more models that will give the girl child hope to dream and aspire for a better life,” he said. (NAN) (www. nannews.ng)
Edited by Abiemwense Moru/Joseph Edeh