Girl Child Day: Group visits Lagos schools, sensitises on period poverty, financial literacy

Worried by the challenges posed to the girl child by issues such as increasing out-of-school cases, period poverty, financial illiteracy, child marriage, among others, a group dedicated to addressing poverty through education- Human and Social Sustainability Network Africa (HSSN), on Wednesday kickstarted a three-day programme tagged: “Girl Power Programme,” in Lagos.

The initiative, second in the series, which was part of the activities to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child 2024, was held at Ideal Girls Junior High School, Randle Avenue, in Surulere area of Lagos, and also featured students of Obele Community Junior School.

HSSN, a youth-led social enterprise committed to addressing the global challenge of poverty through strategic initiatives in education, skill empowerment, and advocacy, said the initiative became necessary considering the need for increased sensitisation among young girls on the power of information and desire to close the existing wide communication gaps between the young generation and the older ones.

Campaign

HSSN Founder and Executive Director, Ms Oyekan

According to the organisation’s Executive Director, Funmilayo Oyekan, the programme is focused on “closing the gender gap in poverty through early and gender-responsive education.”

Ms Oyekan encouraged the students to learn and ask “a lot of questions,” noting that for three days, her team would be educating participants on financial literacy, gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and academic excellence.

“We have sessions on leadership and innovation to help you to be better leaders, and on STEAM careers so that you know how to explore industries in the science, technology, engineering, and all other fields that girls should explore,” she said.

Also speaking, Enitan Oluwa, a partner on the project, harped on menstrual poverty, genotype, blood group, breast examination, cervical cancer, among others.

She said the outreach is a proactive step to empower the girl child.

“Period poverty, for me, is more of lack of information. It’s not just about not having pads. There are a lot of myths that need to be debunked,” she said.

State of emergency

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate on Wednesday urged the government to declare a state of emergency on the protection and welfare of the girl-child to address the educational, health, and safety needs of girls across the country.

According to the Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Ireti Kingible, who moved the motion, “Child marriage remains prevalent across Nigeria, with the northern zones showing alarming statistics.”

She said according to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), over 44 per cent of girls are married before the age of 18 with high percentages in states like Zamfara, Bauchi, and Sokoto.

“Child marriage deprived girls of their right to education, health, and a safe childhood, trapping them in cycles of poverty and oppression. It is observed that each of the six geopolitical zones has distinct but equally pressing challenges facing the girl-child,” she said.

The senator prayed the Senate to encourage the federal government to domesticate and enforce the Child Rights Act and the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, with focus on eradicating harmful traditional practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation, while ensuring girls’ protection and empowerment.

International Day of the Girl Child

The 2024 International Day of the Girl Child, which is marked every 11 October, is themed: “Girls’ Vision for the Future”.

This year’s theme conveys both the need for urgent action and persistent hope, driven by the power of girls’ voices and vision for the future.

On 19 December, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.

The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Participating students offer feedbacks

Participants at the HSSN event in Lagos

Meanwhile, some of the students who participated at Wednesday’s enlightenment session by HSSN have hailed the initiative, describing it as a much anticipated intervention that offered them freedom to express themselves and share their challenges.

One of the participants, Darasimi Sulaimon, told PREMIUM TIMES that she felt empowered after the event.

“I have learnt that we should not be afraid as girls and that we also have powers,” she said, adding that: “I have learnt that if you are experiencing menstruation you should not be shy to talk about it. And if you are molested, speak up.”

Another student, Blessing Onesi, said she learnt “so many things that will be useful for me in the future.”

She said: “I learnt that anytime that you are on period, we should be clean by using suitable pads.”

“We were also taught to raise our right hands and use our left hands to check the breast to for lumps and do the same for the other breast too.”

She said she also learnt about menstrual cycle.