PDP GOVERNORS FORUM CELEBRATES THE NIGERIAN GIRL-CHILD
The Peoples’ Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF) under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed, CON, has hailed the Nigerian Girl-Child on the occasion of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child.
The Forum, in a statement by Hon CID Maduabum, Director General, PDP Governors Forum, noted that the theme of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being,” is apt, and assures that it will remain in the vanguard for the promotion of the wellbeing and protection of the needs of the Girl Child in the country.
The Forum, however, expressed concern that situations of Gender discrimination, limited access to education and quality life, unequal career opportunities, inadequate healthcare, and nutrition still occur in the country.
The Forum further noted that some deep – seated cultural beliefs and societal burdens of responsibilities on the Girl-Child such as farm and house work and marriage issues, still abound in the country, which seriously interfere with the education and acquisition of skills for survival by the Girl Child.
The PDP – GF, the statement noted, “believes that every girl deserves care, protection, and equal rights, stressing that PDP-led state governments have taken the lead in promoting girl child education. To promote girls’ attendance in school, a PDP state Government in the North East, for instance, pays N16,260 for girls in secondary schools across the state, comprising N5,000 for junior secondary and N10,000 for senior secondary per term.
“The conditional payment is part of the state’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment programme aimed at fostering an enabling environment for the girl-child, as well as promoting behavioural change through communication campaigns, engagement and advocacy.
“In most of the PDP states, the Governments have domesticated the Violence Against Persons Law; established a Gender-Based Violence Referral Centre; established a Gender-Based Violence Management Committee and opened the State’s Sex Offenders Register, all in an effort to ensure that the girl-child is protected and safe.
“Over the years, most PDP state governments have been at the forefront of the development of the girl-child and women generally. Its implementation of the free education policy for children from the Primary School to the Senior secondary school level in public schools is all encompassing without any discrimination against the girl child.
“In almost all the PDP-governed States, issues of women and the Girl-child are placed in the front burner by government as demonstrated in the free health care policy for pregnant women, children between the age bracket of (0-5) years and the aged with no discrimination against women or the Girl-child.
“On the occasion of this celebration, the Forum salutes all Amazons holding positions of authority around the world and other notable female Nigerians at home who are inspiring hope in the Girl-Child, that there is no limit to what they can be if they choose the right path.
“We assure that the Forum will continue to ensure full implementation of the Child Rights Act and other policies/interventions to provide an enabling environment for the Girl-Child to thrive.”
