IDG: Pupil seeks inclusion of reproductive education in school curriculum

A nine-year-old pupil, Umma-Aiman Bala Dan, representing the Girl Child in Bauchi State, has appealed to the State Government to come to the aid of the girl child by providing free and quality education for girls and adopting reproductive health education in the school curriculum. 

Umma Aiman spoke in Bauchi on Wednesday during a one-day Dialogue Session with young women and adolescents to commemorate the 2022 International Day of the Girl Child, themed ‘Equal Power in Leadership Decision Making and Political Participation for Girls’.

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Aiman, who is a class-5 primary school pupil, enumerated some of the challenges facing the girl child, saying, “First, we are challenged by gender inequality; this is a major problem where the boy child is given preference in terms of education and other opportunities for self-development, especially in digital skills, more than the girl child.

“In Bauchi state, recent statistics have shown that we have over one million out-of-school children of which 60 per cent are girls, hawking on street. As you all know, the girl child is an important part of society and that is why we are celebrated worldwide.”

Umma Aiman explained, “As a girl child, we have the impediment of menstrual hygiene and reproductive health care, which is often neglected. Most girls do not have access to sanitary pads due to economic challenges. More importantly, most girls lack the knowledge of self-care during menstrual flows and reproductive health because it is not taught in schools and parents lack awareness. These are a few among other critical needs of the girl child such as the child early forced marriage, sexual and gender-based violence and the poor healthcare system.

“On behalf of every girl child in Bauchi state, I hereby appeal to the state government, non-governmental organizations, our panellists, the media, the audience and good citizen of Nigeria to come to the aid of the girl child by providing free and quality education for girls, adopting reproductive health education in the school curriculum and providing free sanitary pads.”