“We Must Continue to Protect and Preserve the Rights and Interests of Our Girls”: Ag. President of AWLA Nigeria Commemorates Int’l Day of the Girl Child
The Acting President of the African Women Lawyers Association, AWLA, Nigeria, S. Adepeju Oduye-Quadri, has reiterated the need to maintain the tempo in the struggle for quality rights for girls in Africa.
Mrs. Oduye-Quadri, in a statement on Sunday, stated that “Every October 11 the world observes the International Day of the Girl Child in accordance with the UN declaration of 2011 that October 11 should be specifically observed as the international day of the girl child. Therefore it has now become a day to celebrate the uniqueness of the girl child as well as amplify the unique challenges the girl child is facing on a daily basis.
“The theme for this year 2020 is My Voice, Our Equal Future and it addresses the global call to action that we should:
- Improve the lives of girls and aspire to make their lives better wherever we are.
- Increase the need for girl activism.
- Demand for laws to free the girl child from sexual and gender based violence, including the removal of cultural, social, educational and economic obstacles that are impeding their wellbeing and progress.
- In line with the aims of the 2030 Agenda for the SDGs that we should leave no one behind, it calls for a reflection and commitment on our responsibilities towards the girl child. For we are all stakeholders for the girl child. The Beijing Platform For Action also recently listed the protection of the girl child as one of the twelve (12) main areas of concern.
“In view of this, AWLA Nigeria therefore is calling out for a positive change in this regard, We must continue to strive to protect and preserve the rights and interests of our girls. The focus should be to generally secure the human rights of all girls even in this period of COVID-19 pandemic which exposed them to various challenges. Girl – child rape, defilement and abduction is still on the increase. It has become a scourge and the girl child is no longer safe. That is why the theme for this year is apt. let us raise our voices against the challenges they face so they can be safe and in turn, they will have the opportunity to excel now and in the future. Thank you all.” Oduye-Quadri said.
Background
In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. The Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights.
On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
