UN wants eradication of cultural hindrances against children, women

The United Nations (UN) has advocated the eradication of certain cultural practices that undermine the rights of the children and prevent the girl child from maximizing her full potentials.

The representative of the UN Women, Mr Peter Mancha, said this Friday in Abuja at a two-day workshop on gender and child rights, organised by the Interfaith Dialogue Forum for Peace (IDFP) and the King Abdullah bin Abdul’aziz Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID).

Mancha who spoke on the theme “Gender and Child Rights” noted that the seminar was in line the mandate of the UN, said the workshop would address the challenges of the girl child who would eventually grow into a woman.

According to him, there are so many things including some cultural practices stopping girls from maximizing their potentials.

“Culture is dynamic and it is one of those things that hinder the maximization of the girl child’s potentials. Any culture that undermines the right of a woman should be eradicated,” he said.

The Co-chairman of IDFIP, Alhaji Kunle Sanni said the event was aimed at developing and raising consciousness on women and child’s right and also discussed practical ways of promoting the honour and protection of women in the society.

He said women are not meant to be beaten neither should they face all kind of abuses by their husband.

“Women must know their right, her feeding, clothing, where she is sleeping, the man that must pay for it. In our society today, if a woman wants to exercise her right, the man brings in another woman. A Muslim woman should know that cooking for her husband is not the right of the man. In fact, he is supposed to pay her. If she is sucking the child, he must pay. There must be a balancing in everything we do,” Sanni said.

The chairperson, committee on Gender and Child Right of the interfaith group, Hajiya Salamatu Ibrahim, said if women know their rights, the society would be better.