The wife of the Governor of Abia State, Dr. Nkechi Ikpeazu says the time has come to give the girl child her right of place to guarantee a rounded and stable society.
In a message to mark the 2022 International Day of the Girl-Child; Mrs. Ikpeazu said the theme of this year’s celebration is a wake-up call for the impendency of allowing girls to realize their full potential presently to enable them to claim stakes in the future of humanity.
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Mrs. Ikpeazu noted that a number of problems confront the Nigerian girl child, directly and indirectly limiting her development. She named them to include sexual abuse, child labour, forced marriage, as well as discrimination in the family nucleus and society.
As the world becomes a global village where information and knowledge can be gotten at the speed of light, Mrs Ikpeazu believes that the gender gap can be closed through education and technology.
Increasing access to Information and Communication Technology for the Girl Child, and propping the girl child to take up educative courses in STEAM subjects i.e. Science, Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics are one way of giving the girl child a boost to leadership position in the development of society.
Mrs Ikpeazu added that the girl-child must be promoted as agents of change, protected from gender-based violence, inequalities and discrimination on many fronts.
Mrs. Ikpeazu called governments, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, civil society groups, human rights groups our husbands, and other stakeholders in society to devote more resources to developing, protecting and empowering the girl child.