Joy Anyim
To curb the menace of sexual abuse against under-age girls in Nigeria, the Executive Director of the International Centre for Human Rights, Non-Violence and Safety Awareness, Barr. Sarah Ene Unobe, has advised girls to shun the culture of silence whenever any man or boy tries to sexually abuse them, and even after.
Unobe, a human right lawyer cum activist, said that girls should scream out loud to attract attention when they perceive danger, regardless of who the supposed abuser may be.
Speaking to young girls at the Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Onitire, Surulere, Lagos, recently, Unobe noted that sexual and other forms of abuse against the girl-child were escalating because a good number of the victims usually kept quiet, thereby making it difficult for those in authority to know and take action against the abusers.
Making reference to the theme of the 2019 International Day for the Girl Child, ‘Girl Force: Unscripted and Unstoppable’, she urged every girl child to get acquainted with what constitutes their fundamental human rights, as provided in the Nigerian Constitution and international documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The knowledge of this, she said, “would help them to fight against any discriminatory, sexual or inhuman abuse any time.”
The NGO boss explained further: “Every girl child has what it takes to become great if only she could identify and actualise such potentials. Education and character are paramount in the lives of all girls, to achieve greatness. A good character would help girls sustain the educational knowledge they acquire.
While explaining the fact that without girls, no nation could boast of the future, Unobe emphasised that girls, like boys, constitutionally have the right to family life.
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In her welcome address, the Director cum Principal of Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School, Mrs. Sherifat Bimbo Mohammed, expressed happiness that she was present at the occasion, as issues relating to girl-child were paramount to the society.
While advising girls to always be bold in fighting for their rights, she expressed some unhappiness with the fact that the average abused girl could not speak out.
According to her: “Girls are getting more problems of abuse because they are not speaking out. If your fathers, your parents’ drivers, male neighbours or any other man for that matter tries to abuse you in any manner, please, cry out. Do not hide it.”
The Principal further advised: “You are not allowed to have boyfriend, as girl-child below the age of eighteen but if you must have, let it end at platonic level. No sexual activities must be allowed. You must resist boys with sexual instinct.”
The one-day event, which was attended by 153 students of Ansar-Ud-Deen Girls High School and New Era College Girls Junior Secondary School, Suru-Lere, was organised by the Lagos State Chapter of the Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) in collaboration with the International Centre for Human Rights, Non-Violence and Safety Awareness.
Earlier in his welcome address, YHRI Lagos Coordinator, Mr. Dare Babadee, said the girl-child deserved to be honoured, following the Beijing Conference of 1995, hence the International Day for the Girl-Child has become a universal activity.
The National Coordinator of YHRI, Mr. Duke Ifeakachukwu Amaliechi, enlightened participants at the occasion with video shows of recorded incidents of abuse and steps to avoid future occurrence.