Piqued at the rate at which girls are married off early because of poverty, Save the Children International (SCI) has advocated the creation of a national movement to end child marriage and to send all girls back to school.
According to them, child marriage is one of the most grievous forms of violence against girls and a form of Gender-Based Violence (GBV), noting that violence against children includes physical, sexual and emotional.
“Child marriage is all of these three combined,” it added.
The SCI Director, Advocacy, Campaign Communication and Media, Amanuel Mamo, during a joint press briefing with the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kenedy-Ohanenye, said Nigeria had an estimated 23 million child brides, which is two in every five.
Asserting that investing in children, especially girls, is investing in the tomorrow, he harped on the need to increase budgetary allocation to improve women’s social protection services and ensure timely and efficient release of funds to end early, child and forced marriages, at all levels.
He also stressed the need for state governments to develop cost implementation strategy and plan for the Child Protection Law (Child Rights Act).
“We cannot continue speaking about challenges related to women’s empowerment and their progress without investing in them. Achieving gender equality, women’s empowerment and women’s well-being in all aspects of life is more crucial than ever before, if we want to create prosperous economies, peaceful nations and a healthy planet,” he stated.
Social protection interventions, Mano said, will grant access to adequate protection for girls and women of reproductive age, including pregnant women and lactating mothers, as well as young girls.
He insisted: “Investing in women and girls through social assistance programmes will provide access to food, healthcare, clothing and shelter.”
The Girl Champion for SCI, Medina Abdulkadri, advocated for gender equality as well as the rights and well-being of all women.
