The Katsina Children’s Parliament on Saturday intensified its campaign for girl-child education and child rights with an awareness drive at Government Girls Secondary School, Mashi, in Mashi LGA.
The campaign was organised in collaboration with the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development and Save the Children International (SCI).
Zainab Abdulkareem, Director of the Department of Girl Child Education and Child Development, said the programme was designed to encourage students to pursue their education and achieve their goals.
“This programme is for you. The members of the Katsina State Children’s Parliament are here to help you achieve your goals as girls,” she said.
Abdulkareem urged the students to remain committed to their studies and avoid negative influences that could derail their future.
Fadila Sani, Speaker of the Parliament, said the aim was to sensitise students and the public on the importance of education, child protection, and the challenges facing children.
“We are taking this awareness drive across local government areas to enlighten communities on supporting girl-child education,” she said.
Sani added that the Parliament remained committed to advocating policies and programmes that improve children’s welfare in the state.
She thanked the state government and development partners for supporting child-focused initiatives.
Hafsat Abdullahi, President of the Child Rights Advocacy Club at Government Girls Secondary School, Mashi, educated the students on preventing gender-based violence and how to report incidents.
She urged parents to report cases instead of hiding them, warning that silence only allows perpetrators to continue.
Abdullahi commended the state government and its partners for establishing a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in the state to handle gender-based violence cases.
Gov. Dikko Radda recently launched the Safe School Policy, which the Parliament had advocated for. The governor also approved and released ₦33 million to support the Parliament’s activities, including the sensitisation campaign.
Nabila Majigiri, a Parliament member representing Mashi, said the campaign also addressed issues such as malnutrition and child rights abuses among children aged 6 to 59 months.
“We are here to raise awareness about child education and the problems children face. We will also talk about child rights, protection, and how to help girls and all children achieve their dreams,” she said.
