To mark this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, Nigerian children Monday took over offices of the Ministers of Women Affairs and Education to demand for digital opportunities for girls and an end to Gender Based Violence (GBV).
The children made their demands known while occupying the seats of the ministers for 30 minutes as part of activities to mark the 2021 International Day of Girl Child (IDGC), celebrated on the theme: “Digital Generation-Our Generation; Digital Revolution: Not Without Girls.”
A 12-year-old from Kebbi state, Miss Nana-Firdausi Bashir, Ag minister of Women Affairs, stated that the inclusion of girls in the digital space will promote their zeal to fulfill their human rights, fight against GBV and other harmful practices affecting girls.
She appealed for all hands to be on deck to totally eliminate the issue of girl-child education, child marriage, female genital mutilation, sexual abuse, ending child trafficking, and removal of children from the streets.
“For a prosperous Nigeria, leave no girl behind,” she said.
Bashir further urged the government to invest in ensuring girls has access to digital skills, which will enable them to be more conversant with technology and have access to information that will end violence and harmful practices affecting them.
“Support safe spaces for girls in school, support mentoring and life skills to girls, use technology as a solution to address Gender Based Violence, “she said.
“Gender and social norms constitutes major reasons girls are not transiting and not accessing digital skills.
“There is a huge gender divide in access to digital literacy in favour of boys. Digital revolution therefore cannot be without girls,” she said.
Also, Minister of state for Education, Miss Dorcas Joshua, from Adamawa state stated the need to support safe spaces for women and girls, support mentoring and life skills for girls.
Joshua also called for the provision of mechanisms for school safety against insecurity in schools and using technology to address GBV.
