Government at all levels have been charged to prioritize, as well protect the girl-child from early marriage and premature childbirth-related deaths.
This can only be achieved if girls have a voice in decisions that affect them more.
Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children International (SCI), Inger Ashing disclose this in a statement to commemorate the International Day of Girl Child marked every 11th, October annually.
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According to her, Child marriage is one of the worst and deadliest forms of sexual and gender-based violence against girls.
She lamented that every year, millions are forced into wedlock with men who are often much older, robbing them of an opportunity to keep learning, be children, and in many cases, to survive.
She stressed that Childbirth is the number one killer of teenaged girls because their young bodies aren’t ready to bear children. The health risks of children having children cannot, and must not, be ignored.
“An estimated 44% of girls in Nigeria are married before their 18th birthday, one of the highest rate of child marriage globally. Rates are not likely to decrease today as Nigerian girls are living in one of the most difficult times. As a result of armed conflict, humanitarian crisis, kidnapping, natural disaster, displacement, COVID-19 pandemic and economic recession, the lives of millions of girls are threatened to be pushed into the basket of deprivation, including reduced access to education, nutrition, lack of protection and lack of access to basic social services”.
Asher explained that gender inequality continued to fuel child marriage, as revealed in a national report from Save the Children in Nigeria.
She, therefore, called on government to, Raise girls’ voices by supporting their right to safe and meaningful participation in all public decision-making.
“Address immediate and ongoing risks of gender-based violence, including child marriage, by putting girls’ rights and gender equality at the centre of COVID-19 and humanitarian responses, development policy, and wider efforts to build forward better.
“Guarantee the rights of all girls, including those impacted by different forms of inequality and discrimination (including on the basis of gender, race, disability, economic background, etc.), by developing inclusive policies and programmes.”
