Education
WOMEN Inspiration Development Centre, WIDC, and Grassroot People and Gender Development Centre, GRADE, have urged the government to invest more in the empowerment of the girl-child for nation building.
The group made the call at a workshop to empower the girl-child in Nigeria to find their voices, discover their power and live out their dreams.
The workshop was organized under the “Delivery Agency to Nigerian Girls Project.”
The one-year project was awarded to WIDC in Osun State and sub granted to GRADE in Lagos and other partners in South West of Nigeria.
GRADE is expected to empower more than 200 girls in Lagos State with skills and tools of personal empowerment and to shape their growing edge.
The group noted that the girl child is a powerful being with unique traits and characteristics to contribute effectively to nation building irrespective of her educational level.
It said that education empowers her and stands her out for better future to transform their family, communities and the nation at large.
According to the group, to achieve the SDG, girls everywhere, must have equal rights and opportunity, and be able to live free of violence and discrimination.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, the Executive Director of WIDC, Mrs. Busayo Obisakin, said that the project seeks to support leaders of grassroots organizations to receive agency and also deliver agency to the population they are working with, to find their voices, discover their powers and live their dreams.
At the three days empowerment workshop in one of the schools visited in Lagos State, the Executive Director of GRADE, Mrs. Vivian Ifeoma Emesowum encouraged the girls to give more attention to their education using their personal powers of commitment, discipline, support system, inner guidance, lightness, love and finding their own truth.
Emesowum said that the innate powers of the girl-child should be applied in several areas of their life.
She added that the workshop is based on the premise that our thoughts and beliefs create the conditions of our life.
According to her, if we want to bring about changes in our life we need to change our beliefs.
“But for most of us, our beliefs are unconscious and the only way we learn about them is when they manifest in our life often not to our liking,” Emesowum said.
She noted that empowering women and girls create a ripple effect by inspiring future generations.
“When young girls see empowered women as role models and mentors, they are likelier to believe in their capabilities and aspire to reach their full potential. This encourages a cycle of empowerment, where girls become educated women who, in turn, empower the next generation
“Investing in girls’ empowerment is imperative to national development. Gender equality and equal access to education and training are fundamental rights and critical drivers of this progress.
“By harnessing the vast potential of its female population, Nigeria can pave the way for economic growth, improved health outcomes, and social development, creating a more inclusive and prosperous society, Emesowum said.
She explained that the workshop framework and model was adopted from the Empowerment Institute, founded by David Gershon and Gail Straub, global leaders for several decades in applying behavior change, community empowerment and transformative social change methodologies to address humanity’s greatest challenges and opportunities.
She added that the training helps to gain deeper insight into personal current beliefs and transformation of those that are not relevant, while at the same time helping girls craft new beliefs that are more productive.
F.A
May 29, 2024
Tags: APC chieftain supports Akeredolu’s girl-child empowerment initiative GRADE nation building WIDC
