Day of the African Child 2021
DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD (DAC)
The African Union set apart
the 16th June for the AU and it’s Member States to commemorate the 1976 student uprising in Soweto, South Africa, where students who marched in protest against apartheid-inspired education, were brutally murdered
Ever since the day has been marked in celebration of the bravery of the African Child whilst putting the spotlight on the challenges of the African Child and proffering solutions as well as galvanizing actions to improve the life and wellbeing of the African child.
The 2021 theme is “*30 years after the adoption of the Charter: accelerate implementation of Agenda 2040 for an Africa fit for children*”.
The African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)
25 year Agenda established in 2016 named “Agenda 2040: Fostering an Africa fit for children” main objective is to restore the dignity of the African child through assessing the achievements and challenges faced towards the effective implementation of the African Children’s Charter.
Its target is to expand significant goals and priority areas to which Member states and the African Union commit to for the next 25 years.
The ten solid aspirations to be achieved by the year 2040 and provision of brief backgrounds with insight on specific issues and identification of action steps to be executed by Member States
within the first phase are:
Aspiration 1: The African Children’s Charter, as supervised by the African Children’s Committee, provides an effective continental framework for advancing children’s rights
Aspiration 2: An effective child-friendly national legislative, policy and institutional framework is in place in all Member States
Aspiration 3: Every child’s birth and other vital statistics are registered
Aspiration 4: Every child survives and has a healthy childhood
Aspiration 5: Every child grows up well-nourished and with access to the basic necessities of life
Aspiration 6: Every child benefits fully from quality education
Aspiration 7: Every child is protected against violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse
Aspiration 8: Children benefit from a child-sensitive criminal system
Aspiration 9: Every child is free from the impact of armed conflicts and other disasters or emergency situations
Aspiration 10: African children’s views matter
The question is how far have we gone towards achieving an Africa fit for children?
Statistics
COVID-19 and the measures taken to respond to it have temporarily quadrupled the number of children who are out of school.
Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of child labourers in the world –
59 million children between the ages of five and 17 are in the worst forms of hazardous work,
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimates that more than one in five children in Africa are employed against their will
In the past four years recurrent crises, extreme poverty, and inadequate social protection measures have led to an additional 16.6 million children affected.
Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated 10,193,918 children out-of-school,
UNICEF and ILO released a report in June 2021 on child labour noting that for the first time in two decades the number of children in child labour has increased – with many more at risk due to the impact of COVID-19.
Increased Insecurity at schools with the incessant abductions and kidnappings
More than 1,000 children have been abducted by Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria since 2013, including 276 girls taken from their secondary school in the town of Chibok in 2014 – UNICEF and 317 schoolgirls abducted in north-west Nigeria from the town of Jangebe, Zamfara state, from the Jangebe government girls’ secondary school. In February 2021
Child abuse rate surged with increased cases of child defilement, child marriage and child exploitation
1 in 2 children aged 2-17 years suffered violence in the past year that is in 2020- WHO ( the shadow pandemic)
Increased number of street children and hoodlums
Increased number of children hawking on the streets and begging even during school hours
Increased number of disenchanted children with suicidal tendencies
The World Economic Forum’s 2016-17 Global Competitiveness Index ranks Nigeria’s infrastructure at the bottom – 132 out of 138 countries– and according to the organisation’s 2016 Executive Opinion Survey, the poor supply of infrastructure is also the largest constraint on doing business in the country.
Nigeria’s 2017 Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP) points to ‘deplorable infrastructure’ as one of the main factors that ‘seriously undermined’ economic performance in the past. The greatest drag on Nigeria’s economic growth is the country’s substantive deficit in basic physical infrastructure which also severely compromises human development and consequently affects the Nigerian Child who is always at the receiving end of any economic downturn.
The indices show hopelessness.
While governments battle to find their footing amid the Pandemic and the heightening insecurity, we ain’t making much progress when it comes to child rights as children are the most vulnerable and worst hit particularly with the shadow pandemic.
Millions of children in Africa continue to be denied access to decent living and in dire need of access to education, basic healthcare, nutrition, clean water, protection, care, a birth certificate – and hope, with tens of thousands more in need of mental health and psycho-social support as conflict and horrific violence has become daily life for many.
We believe with dogged determination and focus we can still achieve quality life and living in the nearest future for the African Child
With domestication of The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (commonly abbreviated as the CRC or UNCRC) which is an international human rights treaty setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children in 2003 Nigeria has made some gains with regards to protection of the rights of the child with over 25 states having domesticated the Act and some making considerable progress with regards to implementation structures such as the Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) The Establishment of the Family Courts and Gender Desk at the Police Stations, introduction of the sex register to shame convicted perpetrators as well as collaborating with NGO’s working in this field etc has broughtt succour to many. However more needs to be done in terms of welfare of the Child and victims and or survivors of abuse
especially with regards to access to justice, non domestication of Child’s Rights Act in 11 states of the Federation, protection of the victims and the victims family etc.
What is the fate of children in those states that failed to domesticate the Act? This is why AWLA is advocating for monism as against dualism in application of international conventions relating to Women and Children matters with the creation of National Family Courts with one Jurisdiction and power to apply international conventions, treaties and protocols dealing with family matters to apply directly into our corpus juris without having to go through the domestication process. We are recommending an amendment of Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution with a proviso for an exception to International treaties, conventions and protocols dealing with and relating to family, women and children matters in emulation of section 254 (C)(2) of the 1999 Constitution dealing with Labour and industrial matters.
We also recommend increased child welfare budgeting. The budget for the Welfare and education of the Nigerian child will reveal the level of priority given by the Nigerian Government to children’s welfare
We also recommend compensation for victims of violence, more especially victims of child defilement, Product of the defilement, rape and domestic violence in terms of health care, education and maintenance and shelter.
We recommend quality education in the strict sense of the word quality. All government schools must be standard in compliance with international standards.
We recommend that every child should and must be in school. Leave no child behind. That is, no child should be seen anywhere but in school during school hours.
.
The African Child is the future of Africa. If we fail to invest in our future, it means we have prepared for a turbulent future or no future at all. We cannot afford to toy with the lives of our children. Any attempt to do so is inviting irredeemable disaster.
Do We, desire a safe and prosperous nation and or world? Then let’s take action today to invest in the African child, otherwise, we should expect more insecurity. If you don’t plan to succeed then you obviously would have planned to fail. Those who fail to invest in their children end up abusing them and making worthless investments thus weakening our nation and our world as quipped by Nelson Mandela:“Our children are our greatest treasure. They are our future. Those who abuse them tear at the fabric of our society and weaken our nation.”
We urge the government to focus on aspirations 2, 4, 5, 6 ,7, 8 and 9 and accelerate implementation of same towards achieving an Africa fit for children. They should all be put on the spotlight in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child which compels us to act in the best interest of the child at all times giving it paramount consideration
As we work together to accelerate action with a whole people and whole government approach taking -deliberate and intentional action to remedy the situation we appeal to African leaders to remember their obligations to children and be resolute to fulfill the same by taking action today as I believe and concur with
Jay Weatherill when he said:
“ I believe that investing in our children’s development from the earliest age is the single most important contribution we can make to the health and wellbeing of our citizens, their capacity and the future prosperity of our state”.
.
AMANDA ASAGBA
President, AWLA
16/06/2021
Rape and be sure to cool off in jail for life
Defilement: Life Imprisonment
RAPE: EFFECT OF LOW SELF ESTEEM
COWARDS AND FOOLS RAPE
REAL MEN DO NOT RAPE
INFIDELS RAPE
We demand for Castration of Rapists
Shame Rapists
Protect Rape Victims: Guarantee their welfare
Do not blame the victim, blame the perpetrator
Rapists are Perverts
Rape is a problem not a predicament
Don’t endure Rape
Don’t cope with Rape
Confront this monster (Rape) head on
Rape: Shadow Terror (Covid-19)
RAPE: RAW UNDILUTED TERROR ON WOMEN AND GIRLS
Wipe Rape out of our world
Take action today to end Rape
Yes, am a male Champion saying no to Rape and defilement
Take Action Now: tomorrow May be too late
Unite Against Rape: NO TO RAPE
Together Against Rape
It’s a NO NO to Rape
I detest Rapists
I hate men who rape
Rapists are idiots
Rapists are sick people, they need psychiatric evaluation and treatment
Damn you rapist
Rapists are demented
I hate rapists
NO MERCY FOR RAPISTS
@awla publications
*#GirlForceUnscriptedUnstoppable**
RIGHTS OF THE GIRL CHILD: WHITHER THE GIRL CHILD?
The fourth World Conference on Women In 1995 made some giant strides with the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was adopted, the most visionary blueprint for the empowerment of women and girls. Some 2 decades ago before today’s girls were conceived.
HAS THE STORY CHANGED FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE?
For this year’s International Day of the Girl Child, the theme “GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable,” is apt. It jolts us out of our comfort zone to reminisce on the past, the present and chart a course for the future. To celebrate the achievements by, with and for girls since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the passage of the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990.
FAILED OR FULFILLED PROMISES?
Many commitments made to girls are left unfulfilled with the following sad statistics:
Each year, 12 million girls under 18 are married;
130 million girls worldwide are still out of school;
And approximately 15 million adolescent girls aged 15-19 have experience forced sex.
4 out of every 10 girls under 10 years have been defiled
More than a quarter of UK girls show signs of depression
About a quarter teenage girls are suicidal
Terror has been unleashed on girls
We have more than 1.1 billion girls in the world.
They are blamed, cursed, abused and or tortured, disowned, abandoned, rejected, thrown out of their homes, shamed, stigmatized, beaten, exploited, discriminated against, pawned, dehumanized, sold……..
Are these not enough reasons for our girls to be depressed and suicidal?
The girls are crying out for help saying “we’ve had enough.”
GIRL FORCE around the world are calling to uphold the commitments made nearly 25 years ago, and create a safe, secure and better future for all.
Girls are not safe in the home, at school, worship centers, even in the community.
Where then are they safe?
Where and who do they run to for help?
What are the structures available for these victims of failed society?
IS IT A CRIME TO BE BORN A GIRL?
WHO WILL PROTECT THE GIRL CHILD?
WHO WILL EMPOWER THE GIRL CHILD?
Ponder on all these!
TAKE ACTION NOW!!!!
😭😭😭😭😭😭
A state of emergency need to be declared on the Girl child issues deliberately and intentionally prioritized their welfare and interest before we lose the future mothers of generations.
We all have a role to play
Take action to build a more peaceful and prosperous world for all
Spread the message with your friends, family, and community!
Talk about it!
Engage by using these hashtags online:
#dayofthegirl
#GenerationEquality
#díadelaniña
#GeneraciónIgualdad (Spanish); #journéedelafille
#GénérationÉgalité (French)
#GirlsNotBrides
#FemaleTheFuture
#GirlsNotSlaves
#GirlsNotSexObjects
11 October is #dayofthegirl!
ACT NOW!
*Encourage girls to pursue their dreams*
*Uplift their self-esteem always *
**Celebrate all their talents*.
*Empower the Girl Child*
**Protect the Girl Child*
*Listen to the Girl Child*
Girl, you are the future, the light of the world, the salt to the earth and the beauty of the world! Let every pain fuel your passion to succeed and be your ladder to greatness!!!!
YOU ARE UNSCRIPTED AND UNSTOPPABLE!!!!!
BEATEN NOT BROKEN, SPURRED!!!!
African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), has implored government at all levels, to be more deliberate and intentional towards ensuring that women and children have unhindered access to justice, anywhere in Nigeria.
In order to achieve this and protect the rights of children, prevail over violence t abuse them, the group advocated for a one stop justice system for women and children, with special Federal courts with one jurisdiction and power to deal with any matter involving abuse of women and children, anywhere in Nigeria.
The demand for an end to the series of killings recorded in Port Harcourt, Rivers State was further pushed by members of the International Federation of Women Lawyers and the African Women Lawyers Association local branches on Wednesday.
The protest, spearheaded by the Women in Rotary, Port Harcourt South, had 77 groups and individuals marching the street in a solemn walk against the recent murders of women in the state.
For the right to life, the women walked
Since the beginning of September, Nigerians have be inundated with chilling reports of cold blood murder of young women in hotel rooms following a similar pattern—strangulation.
A motel located in the Rumuola area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, was on Sunday sealed off after the body of a young woman was discovered in one of its rooms.
It was gathered that an unknown man had lodged in the hotel with the young woman.
The incident was the latest after another young woman was found dead in a hotel last Saturday in Obo, Omoku, Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state.
The Protesters’ Demands
We say NO to these acts of violence and demand JUSTICE for the slain women and return of a peaceful and conducive social environment to our State. We,in the light of these violations of the rights of our women and girls have therefore embarked on this Peace Walk to STATE AND DEMAND as follows:
A thorough,unbiased and speedy investigation by the Police into all reported cases of killing of women in hotels and Motels in Rivers State and the arrest and prosecution of the culprit(s) and accomplices within 14 DAYS of this Publication.
2.A Public apology by the Police as regards the statement they made that was reported in the media branding the victims of these killings prostitutes without any proof whatsoever.
3.The mandatory installation of CCTV cameras and other necessary security gadgets around hotel premises in the State.
4.The proper identification of all Guests and details of every visitor received by their Guests while in the hotel.
5.Institution of new universal hotel policies that would include capturing of guests and visitors data, recording gadgets and equipment,among others.
6.Police emergency numbers to be posted on all hotel rooms and emergency lines at reception desk.
We therefore call on the Police to intensify their efforts and to setup dedicated phone lines and an Emergency response Unit for female victims of homicide and Sexual Violence.
On Hotel proprietors to cooperate with the Police in their efforts to fish out the killers of our women and girls and to report all shady or suspicious characters promptly to the Police, while training their staff on security measures. On members of the public, especially the women in Rivers State to be alert and avoid any questionable clandestine meetings and report any suspicious person to the Law enforcement Agencies.
We must be our sisters’ keepers!
In conclusion while we are aware that the State Government has commenced action on this issue, we urge that it should be accorded utmost priority at this time. No effort should be spared to bring an end to this menace which is very disheartening and therefore requires very serious and urgent interventions by all and sundry. We must not forget that the woman is the heart of the nation and when you hurt a woman, you hurt the entire family, State and the Nation.
The time for Action is now. SAVE OUR SOULS!
The Lagos State Ministry of Justice and Office of the Public Defender, OPD, in conjunction with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, UNICEF, held a 3-day intensive training workshop on Child Justice Administration in Lagos State which premised on the theme, ‘Imprisonment and Over-Institutionalization of Children’.
The objective of the training was not only to ‘Support independent stakeholders to monitor compliance with child rights standards and Enhance capacity of participants to advocate to police, correctional and police detention institutions for children’s release/referral to the non-institutionalized Community Rehabilitation Programme, CRP’ but equally to ‘Deepen participants’ skills to profile children, determine situations of children in detention and capacity to report their conditions with a view to ensuring that reports are used to secure children’s release/referral from prisons and other inappropriate detention centres’.
The Director of OPD, Mrs. ‘Yinka Adeyemi in her opening remarks while noting that visitation to correctional homes is not enough protection for children in-conflict with the Law, rather she emphasized the need for all participants to utilize the skills garnered from the child protection training to understand the performance of what Child Justice Advocacy entail, so that in the process all can inculcate international best practices in child criminal matters and proffer solutions to glaring challenges in the system.
Dr. Willy Mamah and Mr. Denis Onoise both Child Specialists from UNICEF were able to take participants through the following topics;
- The concept and elements of Child Justice System and the available tools and information required to advocate on issues relating to children.
- Understanding the national legal framework – the primary Law being the Lagos State Child Rights Law 2015, the Nigerian Constitution, Criminal Law, Family Law and the African Charter. Similarly, the application of the Child Justice international framework which addresses child-specific needs and rights such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 1990 especially Articles 2, 3, 6, 12, 37 and 40; Committee on the Rights of the Child (General Comment No.10 2007); UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (Beijing Rules 1985) and the UN Guidelines for the Prevention of Juvenile Justice Delinquency (The Riyadh Guidelines 1990) which thus reflect the underlining principles of the Child Rights Law.
- Underlining Principles of Child Rights Law such as non-discrimination, fair hearing, right to life, prohibition against torture, institutions within the child justice system which includes the police, social welfare office, family courts, correctional centres and prisons; while also presenting an option for treating Child offenders taking into consideration the provision of Section 190 of the Child Rights Law which provides that a child must not be subjected to the criminal justice process or to criminal sanction except to the child justice system and processes set out in the Law. Additionally, Section 195 of the Child Rights Law provides that the Police, prosecutor or any other person dealing with a case involving a child offender shall have the power to dispose of the case without resorting to formal trial by using other means of settlement, including supervision, guidance, restitution, compensation of victims and encouraging parties to settle their case accordingly.
- The concept of therapeutic jurisprudence in child justice administration which means treating children with care and support in accordance with Section 1 of the Child Rights Law therefore the welfare and best interests of the child supercedes at all times.
Thus armed with this child justice knowledge especially directed at those who have the power to influence children’s lives, another aim of this workshop is to change specific policies affecting children and create a conducive political space necessary to improve the lives of children. The goal is to achieve institutional change.
Notably, some challenges were identified such as non-implementation of the cardinal principles of the Child Rights Law under Sections 8 and 196; problem in age determination, overcrowded reformatory institutions, no clear-cut distinction between a detention centre and a holding centre, system failure, lack of legal representation, lack of data collection/ research and several other limitations.
In conclusion, the key highlights that all participants took away were that:
- They were to generally respond to Child needs by ensuring that children in-conflict with the Law or children in-contact with the Law are well represented.
- Delay and denial of justice to children amounts to prosecuting children as adults under the Criminal Justice System instead of the Child Justice System.
- Detention of Child offenders should be the last resort. Such children should not be remanded like adults. Rather it is better to subject them to correctional centres which are facilities that encourage rehabilitation and reintegration.
- Promoting legal education for Magistrates, Police and their Specialised Units, Social workers, Prison officials and Lawyers. That by virtue of children’s vulnerable age, the word ‘arraign’ is not proper for child offenders. Children offenders should be called Children in-conflict with the Law. They should not be taken to regular courts but family courts. They should not be taken to adult prisons as well. They have a right to legal aid and legal representation.
- Exhausting the fundamentals of Social Inquiry Reports (SIR) under Section 205 of the Child Rights Law, as general specification for children in-conflict with the Law.
- Obtaining bail for children; and the implementation of the Lagos State Community Rehabilitation Programme for child offenders, a centre which commenced in 2016 and has UNICEF, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Police and Prosecutors as Stakeholders. See Sections 193, 194 195, 136-149, Section 201 and Section 234 of the Child Rights Law
It should be noted that OPD is a body established by the Lagos State Government to render free legal services for the less-privileged and oppressed residents of the state with emphasis on the issues threatening the socio-economic rights of the poor as well as other disadvantaged groups such as women, persons in disability, children in-contact and children in-conflict with the Law while UNICEF on its own has been a consistent international advocate of children’s rights, working year round to protect the world’s vulnerable children since 1946.
Reports compiled by Oluwatomi Ajayi, Chairperson Research Committee, African Women Lawyers Association, AWLA, Nigeria. [February 20-22, 2019]
It is common knowledge that girls’ progress equals family progress which in turn reflects on the progress of the nation. No wonder, the common saying that when a girl is educated, the society stands to benefit or that ‘getting at the girls has a far more powerful multiplying effect.’ Every year, specifically October 11 is a special day universally observed as the day of the girl-child.
This year 2016. the special emphasis is on the word ‘progress’. UNICEF’s current statistics shows there are about 1.1 billion girls in the world. However, in Nigeria, the Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), while celebrating the 2016 World Population Day in July 2016 stated that the population of the teenage girls between 13 and 19 years has increased to 13,787,755. A girl-child in this context is any young girl below the age of 18 years. This is in tandem with the definitions of a child as provided in the 1999 Constitution, the Child’s Rights Act (CRA) 2003, Lagos State Child Rights Law 2008 and other international instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of Child (CRC)1989, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights 1981 (ACHPR) etc.
Invariably the main vehicle of the girl-child progress is education which makes all the difference in her life. That is the key to sustainable development. Education as its catalyst encompasses everything as it means the girl-child has a right to enjoy all her basic rights listed in the child rights’ laws. She can therefore exercise her rights and responsibilities by speaking out; by being assertive yet disciplined; by making choices and weighing the options available in relation with her safety, future career, mental and physical well-being.
It is necessary to highlight the current challenges hindering the progress of the Nigerian girl-child which are obvious in the areas of sexual violence, cultural practices, religion, health, family matters education. Currently, about five million girls are said to currently out of school in Nigeria. There are also issues arising from conflict and insurgency (such as the abducted Chibok school girls), discrimination against the disabled girl-child and girls who live in rural areas, fundamental violation of girls’ human rights, parental preferences for the boy-child, the emerging technology-related violence against the girl-child and finally the weakness of legal and government policies affecting the girl-child.
Essentially, the rules of International Law regulate States Practice on the subject of the Girl-Child through the United Nations CRC 1989 which in Article 11(1) protects the child against illicit transfer abroad and failure to return them (trafficking in children). Articles 16 and 19 protects the privacy, honour, reputation and family life of a child and this includes protection from physical and mental violence, injury, abuse, neglect, exploitation and sexual abuse. There are equally other provisions against economic exploitation and activities that are harmful to the child’s development. Other provisions in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) provide affirmative actions for girls’ education while overriding harmful African customs, traditions or religious beliefs. It also grants girls the right to return to school after pregnancy.
Collectively, there is an urgent need for all of us to embark on girl-child attention policies in order to help them meet their potentials, being tomorrow’s useful adults, mothers, wives, working women, community change agents, etc. The ideal yardstick for the girl-child progress is to ensure that she is not used for trafficking and pornography. She should not hawk on the streets and be exposed to rape, veneral diseases or unwanted pregnancy. She should not be an overworked housekeeper, tortured, maltreated and denied education in the name of discipline. Parents in rural areas giving their daughters to family members or even strangers in the urban areas should be condemned. Girls should not be kept in orphanages with the evil and end purpose of getting them pregnant and selling their babies. Child-marriage should be discouraged. Local barbaric customs and religion extremism labelling young girls as witches should be stopped. All the girls in the IDP camps and correctional centres/remand homes should be properly looked after.
Who cares about the Progress of the Girl-Child?
Protection of the girl-child is the gateway to her progress. Progress in this context is a state where girls should be able to rely and have faith in the government to get attention and justice. When the world becomes a safer place for the girl-child to thrive or when resources exist to tackle the current challenges facing the girl-child and uplift her status, then there is progress. Nevertheless, it is the government’s duty to protect its vulnerable young girls. The Nigerian Legal Framework however cares because there are more than enough laws which protects the rights of the girl-child in the Child Rights Act of 2003 and Section 17(3)(f) of the 1999 Constitution. Similar law also exist in different states of the federation. In Lagos State for example, the Criminal Law of Lagos State of 2011 protects the Girl-Child by prosecuting offenders who violate the following provisions:
*Section 135 – Indecent treatment of a child is 7 years imprisonment.
*Section 137– Defilement of a Child is imprisonment for life.
*Section 138 –Householder permitting defilement of a child in his premises is 14 years jail term.
*Section 139 – Allowing a child to live in a brothel is 6 months imprisonment or payment of a fine of N90, 000. 00
*Section 141 – Abduction of a girl under18 years with intent to have sexual intercourse with her is 2 years imprisonment
*Section 205 – Duty of Head of Family Head to provide necessaries of life. e.g food, clothing, accommodation, and medical care.
*Section 199 – In exacting discipline, parents/guardian may correct his child/ward for misconduct or disobedience but must not exceed limits. The discipline must be reasonable having regard to his age, physical and mental condition. Punishment is one year imprisonment.
*Section 276 – Fine is N100, 000. 00 for desertion of children.
*Section 277 – Desertion of a pregnant girl incur N45,000.00 fine and duty to incur medical expenses, food expenses, reasonable shelter and other necessaries.
Aside from the laws, there are designated child-helplines and government ministries/ support agencies where girl-child victims can get help and lodge complaints through specialized police family units, Family Courts, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation. The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT), Office of the Public Defender, Mirabel Centre, African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA Nigeria), International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Human Development Initiatives (HDI) and other NGOs all play appreciable roles which impact positively on the girl-child. It is on record that Lagos State is the first state in Nigeria to open a sex offenders register after former Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola signed an executive order for anyone to mandatorily report those involved in actual or suspected child abuse. Under the Fundamental Enforcement Rules of 2009 also, anybody can sue on behalf of the child that is being molested.
While some progress has been recorded on issues like girls’ protection and education, there is still a lot of work to be done for them to reach their full potential. Some state governments are yet to domesticate the Child Rights Act. According to Hon. Justice Mary Peter-Odili at the NIALS Founders’ Day Lecture in 2013, the failure of the executive arm of government to make concrete investment geared towards putting in place the right policy and mechanism for implementation has forever been a big challenge. Emphasis on the progress of the girl-child will be enhanced
The Solutions are not far-fetched. To enhance the progress of the girl-child, we must have a girl-focused relevant data to highlight the challenges girls’ face. This will enable the government to keep track of their progress and make a checklist with a view to fill the gaps and ultimately provide solutions to the challenges. This is what UNICEF calls the Global Girls Data Movement. For example, the Lagos State government has devised a roadmap of information which has given birth to a Strategic Action Plan (SAP) for marginalized out-of-school girls resident in the 100 slum areas in Lagos. Clearly this is in line with Article 2 of CRC which provides that States must respect and ensure the rights set forth in the Convention while the child’s best interests should be of primary consideration in all actions. It is important to note that ‘best interest’ does not only include providing our girls with good clothes, food, iphones and other e-gadgets, rather her happiness and psychological development also matter because it can affect her stability and security. (Especially when she attains the age of reasoning between 6 years and 17 years as held in a decided case).
There is need for good governance. At all times and especially during this present economic recession, the government at all levels should implement economic empowerment policies that would create jobs for parents or guardians to take care of their daughters. In Nigeria there is a lot of pressure as some girls fall into the dependency group and productive force at the same time. Government should therefore look into initiating scholarship assistance schemes for girls who excel in academics and sponsor others for vocational skills.
Finally, it is very important that the girl-child is enlightened about certain rights and priviledges for her to be adequately protected.
This is possible through creating the girl-child awareness on all the issues earlier mentioned. Indeed there is a clarion call on everyone to help enhance their lives by involving not only family and community members, but also all policy-decision makers who must establish a convincing attitude alongside with the laws on ground, by walking the talk! In September 2016, the Governor of Lagos State Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode led an all-male walk against sexual and gender based violence in the State. The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development have also put in place a technical working group of all stakeholders to end child marriage while the Governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal recently laid the foundation for the construction of a new Secondary school in Balle, headquarters of Gudu LGA which is the only Council without a secondary school in Nigeria! One can imagine the plight of the young girls living in this village.
As we celebrate Nigeria at 56, it calls to question why millions of girls are still out of school. It calls for everyone to question the where-about of the kidnapped Chibok school girls. It calls to advocate for the advancement and fair treatment of the girl-child in our immediate environment and beyond. It calls to be extra vigilant over the girl-child’s’ basic human rights and to continue addressing the consciousness of adequate protection for the girl-child. By doing these and more, it is submitted that adherence to the principles of the girl-child rights as human rights, parental supervision of the girl-child and further investing positively in the girl-child ensures progress and security for our nation, for when the girl-child makes progress, the world equally makes progress.
*Mrs. Mandy Asagba & Mrs. Oluwatomi Ajayi are Legal Practitioners & Members of the African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA Nigeria)