As part of efforts to equip young girls in the fight against child marriage in the country, a non-governmental organization, Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care in Partnership with Mundo Cooperante organized 2 days training on ‘Advocacy Against Child Marriage; for an adolescent girl who are survivors of child marriage and girls at risk of child marriage in Makoko and Ijora Communities’.
According to the founder of Bella Foundation for Child and Maternal Care, Bella Akhagba, the two-day training was aimed at equipping the girls with skills to be able to speak out against child marriage in their communities. Adding that, it was also an avenue to advocate the enactment of laws against child marriage and encourage parents to send their girl children to school and to acquire skills that could empowerment economically.
According to her, “Makoko and Ijora are one of the communities in Lagos State Nigeria with a high rate of child marriage which is attributed to poverty and unintended pregnancies”.
Meanwhile, facilitators at the training including a gender advocate, Dorinda Odongharo admonished the girl children to equip themselves with some useful skills, choose role models that would impact their lives positively, read articles, especially in their area of interest and know their rights.
“As a girl advocate, you do the following to be involved in advocacy: Raise your voice, support one another, educate others, join advocacy conversation, and give to the cause”, she said.
Another facilitator, a Media Expert and Advocate for Girl’s & Women’s Sustainable Leadership, Ebunoluwa Sessou who spoke on the topic, ‘Why investing in girl child education transforms the community’, disclosed that investing in girls education transforms the girls, society, communities, state as well as country at large.
According to her, “Girls who are educated will not be victims of child marriage rather they will be productive in society. They will participate in the decision-making and build better futures for themselves and their families.
“Girls’ education strengthens economies and reduces inequality. It contributes to more stable, resilient societies that give all individuals including boys and men the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
“Importance of girl education includes inequality reduction which hitherto reduces poverty, it ensures economic growth, promotes economic competitiveness among others”, she said
