The National Centre for Women Development (NCWD), has entered into collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President, to provide 150 girls with skills acquisition as part of activities to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child.
The Director-General of the Centre, Mrs. Mary Ekpere-Eta, disclosed this in a statement in preparation towards the event scheduled from Oct.16 to Oct. 18.
The 2018 theme would be “Empower Girls: Before, During and After Conflict” as part of efforts of the NCWD towards empowering the Girl-Child.
She said there would be special session for 1000 young girls from different public and private schools with the Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, adding that there would also be exhibition of agricultural goods and services by Nigerian Women.
[penci_blockquote style=”style-2″ align=”none” author=””]“No doubt, an empowered girl-child holds the key to the current challenges affecting the Nigerian society.[/penci_blockquote]
“Every year, the theme provides us and our partners with opportunity to work with the girl-child in bringing to the fore the challenges arising from the issues raised, along with possible solutions.
“To Commemorate this year’s events, there will schools debate, drama competition on “Effect of Trafficking and Drug Abuse on Girl-Child Education.
“Oct. 11 every year was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Dec. 2011 to focus attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights,” Ekpere-Eta said.
She said NCWD as an agency of government in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development joins other countries of the world to mark this special Day.
Ekpere-Eta said the special day calls for more opportunities for girls and raises awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide based on their gender.
She said some of these discriminations include right to education/access to education, good nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, gender based violence and early child marriage.
“The Day was first observed globally on Oct. 11, 2012 and for the first time in Nigeria in 2014, when the NCWD with support from the Presidency, Development partners and NGOs convened the Women and Girls Summit.
“Since then, the event has been endorsed and marked as an annual event.
.
“No doubt, an empowered girl-child holds the key to the current challenges affecting the Nigerian society.
[penci_related_posts taxonomies=”undefined” title=”Online Related Posts” background=”” border=”” thumbright=”no” number=”4″ style=”grid” align=”none” displayby=”recent_posts” orderby=”random”]
“Thus, in her formative and later years, all resources should be harnessed to enable her attain full potential, ” Ekpere-Eta said.
Ekpere-Eta said more than 90 per cent of those living in developing countries are most likely to end up working in the informal sector, which is largely characterised by exploitation, abuse, low wages or no pay at all.