FCTA marks maiden Adolescent Girl Child Day

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), through the Women Affairs Secretariat, and collaboration with development partners, has marked its maiden adolescent girl child day.

The administration said it was part of various activities lined up toward joining the rest of the world in observing 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Abuja Metro reports that the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had in 2023, approved the 10th of December every year as a day to celebrate the FCT girl child aimed at drawing national and global attention to the need for collective responsibility towards her concerns.

The celebration took a gender-inclusive dimension, as 620 adolescent girls and boys from the six area councils of the FCT converged at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Dutse-Alhaji, for a two-day boot camp.

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Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Minister of State for FCT, Dr Mariam Mahmoud, commended the Women Affairs Secretariat under the leadership of Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, for initiating an innovative advocacy strategy to sensitize adolescent girls and boys about the dangers of GBV, and the need to speak up and defend themselves when faced with the menace.

“I commend the FCT Women Affairs Secretariat for organising a transforming event, and for their commitment to the 16 days of Activism to end Gender-Based Violence. This global campaign championed by our Secretariat is a bold and necessary initiative, and I am proud of the impact it has made so far.”

Addressing the large adolescent crowd, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Woman Affairs Secretariat, Dr Adedayo Benjamins-Laniyi, said the two-day boot camp was specially conceived to carry adolescent boys along in GBV advocacy, as they have a role to play in understanding the dangers their sisters and mothers face in GBV, and the need to form clusters of protection against such vices at home and the society at large.