NCWD lines up activities to mark Day of the Girl Child

Press Release 11/10/2018

 NCWD in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria commemorates International Day of the Girl-Child (IDG)

The National Centre for Women Development (NCWD) in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President to commemorate International Day of the Girl-Child of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will from 16th to 18th October, 2018 host series of events.

11th October, every year was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2011 to focus attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights. The National Centre for Women Development as an agency of Government in collaboration with the Office of the Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development joins other countries of the world to mark this special Day as an annual event. This special Day  calls for more opportunities for girls and raises awareness of the discrimination they face worldwide based on their gender. Some of these discriminations – include right to education/access to education, good nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, gender based violence and early child marriage.

The Day was first observed globally on 11th October, 2012 and for the first time in Nigeria in 2014, when the National Centre for Women Development with support from the Presidency Development partners and Non-Governmental Organizations convened the Women and Girls Summit. Since then, the event has been endorsed as an annual event.

The 2018 theme “Empower Girls: Before, During and after Conflict” resonates in the efforts the NCWD is making towards empowering the Girl-Child. No doubt, an empowered girl-child holds the key to the current challenges affecting the Nigerian society. Thus, in her formative and later years, all resources should be harnessed to enable attain her full potential. Of the estimated 1 billion young people, which includes 600 million adolescent girls that are likely to enter the workforce in the next decade, more than 90% of those living in developing countries are most likely to end up working in the informal sector, which is largely characterized by exploitation, abuse, low wages or no pay at all.

Every year, the theme provides us and our partners an opportunity to work with the girl-child in bringing to the fore the challenges arising from the issues raised, along with possible solutions. In commemorating this year’s event, the following activities will be carried out:

• Schools Debate on the topic “Should the Girl-Child be Equipped with Self Defense Skills?” on 16th October, 2018
• Drama Competition on “Effect of Trafficking and Drug Abuse on Girl-Child Education” on 16th October, 2018.
• Skills Development Session for 150 girls on 16th October, 2018.
• Special Session for 1000 young girls from different public and private schools with the Wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo on 17th October,  2018
• 17^th – 18^th October, 2018 – Exhibition of Agricultural Goods and Services by Nigerian Women

 

• Women and Girls Summit to feature the Launch of the National Gender Action Plan for Agriculture and a feedback on the performance of female aspirants at the just concluded primaries of political parties in Nigeria on 18^th October, 2018

Guests of Honour: Honorable Minister of Women Affairs & Social Development, Mrs. Aisha A. Abubakar & Honourable Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbe.

                  

Special Guest of Honour: Her Excellency, Dr. (Mrs.) Aisha M. Buhari,  Wife of the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.