The Executive Director, Virgin Heart Foundation, Peace Dike, wants government at all levels to ensure that rights and social needs of women and girls are met by implementing decisions that encourage gender equality, employment opportunities, quality education, skill acquisition, admittance into politics and governance, making and keeping laws against sexual abuse, maltreatment and hard labour.
She made the demand while speaking to journalists during a one-day summit held for adolescent girls in primary and secondary schools including special citizens in Imo State at City School Owerri on Tuesday.
Dike, who noted that the Focus Group Discussion on the State of the Nigerian Girls Summit, which was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Vulnerable Groups with support from Action Aid Nigeria, mentioned that the sensitization talks was geared to make the girl-child demand for her rights in the society to enable her attain her career, as well as enjoy life in a free community.
She added that the summit prepared the girl-child mentally ahead of the 11th October 2022 Int’l Girl-child Day commemoration so that she speaks well of her rights, skill acquisition, education, empowerment and social needs (healthcare delivery).
Remarking that VHF has the vision to achieve a world free oppression and violence against women and girls having being founded in 2017, Dike stressed that “the summit helps adolescent girls know what they should know of their rights, social needs especially quality, affordable healthcare, free education and how to function efficiently in the society by meeting and advancing their career while living freely from oppression. Getting girls to speak about gender based issues, their career, insecurity among other demands at Abuja on 11th October, 2022, will mean a lot to VHF”.
While advising the girl-child to always dress decently, behave well, and not make sexual decision that could affect them negatively, Dike urged the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Vulnerable Groups and other relevant agencies and groups to rise and defend rights and social needs of women and girls to make their living more better and appetising.
