Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun has advocated more spaces for the girl child to be involved in decision-making, where their voices can be heard, to effect the desired change in the society.
Mrs. Abiodun made the call in Abeokuta, at the 2022 International Day of the Girl Child celebration, organised by her pet project, the Ajose Foundation with the theme: “Our Time is Now -our Rights, our Future”, saying schools, places of worship, and the communities should give more attention, investment, and action to support adolescent girls in leadership.
The First Lady stated that more people were lending their voices to support girls and create a safer world for them, as the Prince Dapo Abiodun-led administration had advanced the rights of the girl child through scholarship, among other programmes, adding that her Foundation had also championed girls’ rights by tackling issues on child abuse, menstrual health and hygiene and the aggressive ongoing mentoring initiative
According to Mrs. Abiodun, "we need to nurture more spaces to include them in some decision-making where their voices can be heard, and they can effect change. Our schools, places of worship, and even the communities we live in should provide an avenue where our girls can include their voices in change efforts."
The First Lady stated that the 2022 celebration marks the 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child, noting that since its inception, there had been an increased focus on issues that affect girls in Nigeria, from the drive against Gender-Based Violence to the Bring-back-our-girls” movement.
In his remark, Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu appreciated the first lady for her efforts at nurturing the girl child in the State, urging girls to emulate the virtue of notable personalities who had excelled in their various careers.
Speaking virtually, one of the resource persons, an award-winning Athlete, Tobi Amusan encouraged the girl child to be positive-minded and believe in themselves, saying “these qualities have been keeping me going in athletics despite the challenges”.
Highlights of the event were lectures on personal and menstrual hygiene, etiquette, among other pertinent talks, as well as a debate competition and cultural performances for girls drawn from various public and private schools in the State.
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