Protect Girl Child From Violent Attacks, Stakeholders Urged

By Magnus Emuji

Stakeholders and every individual in the society have been called upon to always protect the girl child from all forms of violent attack either in the school environment or home .

The Delta State Director of Agro Centre for Development, Peace and Justice, Augusta Impact Keneboh made the call at Ibusa Girls Grammar School, Ibusa in Oshimili North Local Government Area of the state during sensitisation on Safe School Declaration (SSD).

Keneboh, who said that the objective of the enlightenment programme was to sensitise the school and stakeholders on Safe School Declaration and to engage government on the need to ensure that policies on the safety and security concern in learning environment was addressed.

She identified bullying and kicking as forms of physical violence against children as well as rape, unwanted touching of the female child just as she noted that negligence towards providing their basic needs such as access to education, shelter, food and clothing as part of violence against them .

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Keneboh who stated that the project was being supported by the Development Research Project Centre and Ford Foundation, disclosed that they were looking at school safety, security and violence free school environment especially for girls as security concern around the country had called for preparedness to tackle the issue.

She said that girls were vulnerable in nature hence the need for them to be participants, adding that they had been able to teach them safety tips , how to be sensitive around the environment and how to be more careful whenever they were within and outside the school environment.

Earlier, some of the stakeholders who spoke including the Principal of Ibusa Girls Grammar School, Mrs. Nkem Ajufo , the vice principal, Students’ Affairs, Martha Joe Nunoo, the Oshimili North President of the National Council for Women Society (NCWS) , Mrs. Juliana Nzemeke and the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Oshimili North chapter, Mr. Henry Ashinuogwu urged every child who had victims of tape or rape attempts to always report such incident , adding that stigmatisation must stop so as to record success in tacking the menace in the society.

They advised girls to shun indecent dressing in order not to give room for them to fall victim, stressing that COVID 19 had impacted negatively on the education sector.