A non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Tabitha Cumi Foundation (TCF), has called for the abolition of early girl-child marriage in Nigeria.
The TCF made the call on Thursday in Abuja at the commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child through the Girls Rights, Education and Protection (G-REAP) project, funded by the Ford Foundation.
The event had as its theme “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights”.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of TCF, Mrs Adetayo Erinle, acknowledged the existing policies already in place by the government to curb child marriage in Nigeria and commended the government for enacting them.
Erinle, represented by the Programme Manager, Mrs Nendirmwe Ohah, said this was because the government had a key role to play in ending child marriage in the country through formulating the right policies.
“There are laws enacted to prevent gender-based violence, and many of them are even under review to capture emerging issues around technology-facilitated gender-based violence and other forms of abuse,” she said.
She commended the development and all stakeholders that have worked towards the review and updating of the laws to capture the evolving nature of gender-based violence in recent times.
She, however, emphasised that the fruition of the policies required the government to go beyond formulation of policies to ensuring that the policies were properly implemented.
“The government has the responsibility of implementing and enforcing these laws, especially in the communities where the practice of child marriage is predominant.
“This way, these laws translate to communities where girls can feel safe, respected and supported.
“We need to work together to create communities where girls are heard and live up to their full potential,” she said.
The executive director also called on parents, schools, religious environments, social groups and all stakeholders involved in raising girls to create awareness and facilitate a safer environment for girls in their social communities.
“The foundation is doing its part, but we cannot do it alone. Everyone needs to put hands together to create environments that don’t breed abuse, but help protect girls and aid them to achieve their individual goals,” she added.
Mrs Sonya Adeniyi-Fashola, a girls’ rights activist and guest speaker at the event, called on stakeholders in society to allow girl children to have options to choose from, instead of marrying them off at very young ages.
According to Adeniyi-Fashola, early marriage stunts the growth of young girls, preventing them from actualising their dreams, while also putting them at health risk due to possible early childbearing complications.
She called for young girls to be empowered, educated on their rights and allowed to go to school and live their lives at their own pace, noting that when girls mature before marriage, they blossom.
“We should invest in them, give them scholarships, equip them with skills, give them the right exposure and enable them to become financially independent and educated,” she said.
She commended the TCF for the initiative and called on other groups to borrow a leaf from the organisation and do everything possible to eradicate early child marriage, while empowering girls where necessary.
She added that another key tool towards curbing child marriage was awareness.
“Firstly, the girls need to be aware of their rights and the laws that protect them from being married off at young ages.
“The parents also need to be aware of the possible trauma and health complications that could come from child marriage and its permanent consequences on the girl child,” she said.
She also called on the government to strengthen implementation of laws that prevent young girls from being married off, noting that strict adherence would result in visible change in society.
Mrs Nafisah Kote, Officer, Gender Unit, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, said that the board was working actively with relevant stakeholders to raise stable and confident girls.
She urged the beneficiaries to extend the knowledge gained from the educative session to their fellow girls who were not opportune to be present.
Kote also commended the TCF for the initiative to assist the government and called on other groups to join in and support the already existing efforts, noting that it takes all hands to raise empowered, stable, confident girls.
