Restoring The Dignity Of The Girl Child

By Patrick Alumona

Corruption and insecurity apart, Nigeria’s other tragedy has been the deliberate and systematic shackling of the female gender, the girl child.

All over the world, particularly in the developing nations, the girl child is subjected to despicable cruelty in the name of culture and religion.

Women around the world are victims of avoidable unusual practices and abuse such as denial to education, gender inequality, legal rights, medical care, discrimination, gender violence, child marriage and genital mutilation.

Apparently, it is to raise awareness on numerous sensitive issues faced by the girls due to their gender and to possibly eliminate them, that the United Nations adopted October 11 as International Day of the girl Child.

The first step towards empowerment of women was taken at the World Conference on women in Beijing, China in 1995.

Many countries including Nigeria, unanimously adopted the Beijing declaration as a blueprint for action against gender inequality.

The resolution was splendidly supported by a group of women and girls who made presentations at the Assembly, emphasizing the point that given the right platform and opportunity, the female gender can bring positive changes to the society.

As the global community commemorates the 11th edition of the International Day of the Girl Child, it is imperative to repeat the usual salient questions asked by advocates of gender equality, has the objectives of the proponents of gender equality and empowerment of the girl child realized? Since creation, women are subordinated to men.

Many religions subscribe to the doctrine of man as the head of the woman and the woman should live under his authority.

Some school of thoughts refer to women as the weaker sex.

Drawing strength from these assumptions, men subjugate women and designate immaterial societal roles to them.

It is hard to shake off the truth that the women of today have mustered the courage and wherewithal to draw the curtain on those dark days but, the challenges militating against their development are daunting indeed.

The female gender which is in parity with the male, should occupy a significant place in the scheme of things in any society that aspires to make progress.

Nigeria’s former Minister of Finance, and now first woman and first African to be Director General of World Trade Organization NGOZI OKONJO IWEALA says investing in women is smart economics and investing in girls, catching them upstream is even smarter economics.

As the world appreciates the platform the International Day of the Girl Child affords world leaders to get down to basics and take an honest inventory on their actions taken to discourage gender disparity, gender based violence, underdevelopment of the girl child, child marriages and sexual harassment, especially at the work places, universities and other institutions of higher learning should be addressed.

Nothing is as unsuccessful and laughable as treating a cancerous virus with pomade.

World leaders and other appropriate authorities must think about all the reasons to muster the political will to revert man’s inhumanity to woman.

The well-meaning members of the global community should also rise up against what is potentially evil.

The time to stand with and for the girl child to invest in a future that believes in her potential is now.

Edited By Grace Namiji