These
are my thoughts on the issue of giving out the girl child for marriage. This
year alone, I have addressed over three thousand girls in different top
secondary schools, non-governmental organizations and religious bodies in
Lagos, Nigeria. I can boldly say that, they are just starting to discover who
they are, what’s going on (especially with their bodies), what to do with their
lives and where they are heading to.
Therefore,
I could not imagine any of these wonderful developing ladies been married off.
It is very heart-breaking to know that this kind of evil thought will be passed
into law. Thank God, lots of Nigerians are rising up to sign the petition
against this evil act.
From
my experience and interaction with youngsters, I can say that the child is being
given to be molested, abused and married. I have seen cases where the child was
raped at a tender age by five different close members at different times. In
some situations, the parents know about the abuse, but they keep quiet and
pretend that it never happened.
Also,
there are some parents that give up their children for hawking, prostitution,
etc. Sometimes these children are handed over to relatives or friends, which
might be due to financial constraints and family issues.
Personally,
I believe everyone should be involved in looking out for the interest of these
children. These are some tips we can follow:
- Government
must enact and pass laws that protect, defend, provide and fight for the child
- Mothers should
know their children ( their moods, likes, dislikes, fears, friends, etc)
- Mothers,
you must be close to your children
- Husband and
wife should set a good example to the child
- Men (Father,
uncle, brother, male friend, nephew, teacher, guardian, religious leader,
driver, gardener, etc. ) must protect the girl child instead of abusing her
- Women (Mother,
Aunty, niece, cousin) should be open and trust-worthy, so that the girl child
can feel free to converse with you
- Organizations
such as religious bodies, NGOs must protect the child
- Activists must
rise up and speak for the child
- Law
enforcement agencies must defend the rights of the child.
I
Believe In Future Leaders
I
Speak & Motivate Future Leaders
Gracias
