General News
SOME women in Plateau have called on governments at all levels to support the girl-child in the country toward the attainment their full potential in life.
The women made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Jos.
The women spoke in commemoration of the 2022 and 10th anniversary of the International Day of the Girl-child.
Dr Gloria Puldu, the Founder of the Leah Foundation, decried the continuous abduction of young girls in the society by criminal elements.
Puldu said that rather than join the rest of the world to celebrate, Nigerian women are pained because the girl child has been under threat.
She called on the the Federal Government and the security agencies to intensify efforts toward the release of all the girls who are still in captivity.
”Just like Leah Sharibu and the Chibok girls, many other young girls who have been abducted by members of Boko Haram, bandits of kidnappers are still in captivity.
”Today, rather than join the rest of the world to celebrate, Nigerian mothers are in great pains and weeping because our girls are not safe.
”If government has been able to secure the release of those abducted in the Abuja-Kaduna train and others alike, we urge it to do everything possible to ensure all girls who are in captivity are released.
”These girls have dreams; they have plans for their futures, but they can’t attain their full potentials in life if they are held as captives,’ ‘she called
Puldu also called on those seeking elective positions in 2023 to make the issues of the girl-child top of their manifestos.
On her part, Rhoda Jahota, the Leader of the Women Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Plateau, decried the rise in forced and early marriage among young girls and called on government to stop such practices.
She lamented that the rising insecurity in the country was inhibiting the girl-child from going to school for fear of being abducted, hence the reason why the girl-child is backward in education.
Jahota called on goverment at all levels to ensure the girl-child is well educated, insisting that when a woman is educated, the society would be liberated.
Mrs Alice Laka-Fashalari, the Convener, Women 360 Degree, called on government to stop the trafficking of girl-child and other challenges stopping young women from attaining their full potentials in life.
”Our society has not done much in terms of catering for the needs of the girl-child; our girls are being trafficked and kidnapped and nobody is saying anything.
”As a nation, there is more that can be done to support the girl-child to attain her full potential in life,” she said
Laka-Fashalari, who commended many mothers for toiling to support their girls in the society, called on parents to provide equal opportunities for their children devoid of gender discrimination.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 2022 International Day of Girl Child had the theme ”Our Time is Now-Our Rights, Our Future”.(NAN)
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Tags: Gloria Puldu Rhoda Jahota
