Ogun State Government says it is targeting technical and vocational education training for at least 1,000 girls as part of the drive to bridge the gender gap in the state.
Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, disclosed this while speaking with Daily Trust in her office on the activities lined up for the International Day of the Girl Child which is being celebrated worldwide on October 11.
Adeleye, who expressed concern over what she called growing gender gap in the country, noted that the state government is intentionally bridging the gap through its various policies and programmes.
The Commissioner said the government is targeting technical and vocational education for at least 1,000 female students to ensure more girls take up courses in ICT among others.
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She said the programme supported by the World Bank is domiciled in the Ministry of education but the Women Affairs counterpart is lending support by searching and encouraging girls to embrace technical education.
“We are looking for 1,000 girls in technical and vocational education in Ogun State. That’s being intentional.
“This is a deliberate step to close the gap between the boy child and the girl child. The gender gap is so wide because the higher you go, the fewer women you see.
“So, the governor is being intentional to ensure that as you go higher you begin to see more women,” Adeleye said.
The former lawmaker identified education, gender based violence, child labour, early marriages as some of the challenges limiting potentials of the girl child in the country.
Adeleye said the government has taken drastic steps towards reducing the level of sexual abuse of the girls and women in the state by setting up Sexual Assault Centres across the three Senatorial districts.
She added that the government has toll-free lines to allow sexual violence victims report cases promptly.
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