by FIDA

Branch Activities, LagosOctober 11, 20220 comments

FIDA Lagos Marks International Day of The Girl Child 2022.

The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, Lagos Branch joined the rest of the world to amplify the awareness of the rights of the girl child.

The 11th day of October every year is set aside to commemorate the anniversary of the International Day of the Girl Child. This year marks the tenth anniversary with the theme Our time is now—our rights, our future.

FIDA Lagos notes that this is the beginning of yet another era and now is the time to work harder and smarter by engaging the right stakeholders and policymakers to not only accept but to also encourage these rights to be implemented, to work in line with appropriate governmental and non-governmental agencies in the enforceability of the rights of the girl child.

The future we all want is now, we want to see a society where a child especially the girl child can thrive and blossom to achieve her talents and potentials without any form of social, religious, cultural subjugation, also where opportunities are the same and equal to all and all basic human rights are upheld.

FIDA Lagos calls on all stakeholders to rise up and champion this course to the actualization that every Nigerian girl child is free from deep-rooted gender-based issues which have been in existence for decades such as gender-based discrimination and oppression, harmful cultural practices, poor or no education, sexual abuses and exploitation, child marriages, poor learning opportunities, etc.

In line with the celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child today, FIDA Lagos team led by the Chairperson, Mrs. Chinwe Efobi visited two schools namely, Marywood Girls College Ebute-Metta West Lagos and Methodist Girls High School, Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba Lagos to speak to the girls on how to safeguard themselves from all forms of abuses and how to pursue their rights as girls and report cases of abuses to the appropriate authorities.

The speakers were very eloquent and the team from NAPTIP also spoke to the students on trafficking and the dangers associated with it and how to safeguard themselves from being trafficked and the need to report any suspected incident of trafficking to the appropriate quarters. The sessions were very interactive. Snacks and drinks were distributed to the students and plaques were given to the Speakers at the end of the ceremonies in the two different locations.

Also in attendance were a great number of Fidans and the guest speakers were Dr Stella Nduka, Rita Amuchienwa, Mrs Amaka Ndulue and Mr Frederick Okoh Uche from (NAPTIP) who represented the NAPTIP Lagos Commander and Dr Rosemary Danesi, Titilola Akinlawon (SAN)

It was a huge success.