INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD

United Nation adopted every 11th October as the International Day of the Girl Child. This is to sensitize girls internationally on issues facing them such as education, forced child marriage, nutrition, medical and legal rights; and also help support more opportunity for girls.

This year, the Girl Child Day in Kaduna State was marked at the Glow With Grace Summit 2019 with the theme: "Flourishing and Fulfilled Female" at Kaduna State University Multipurpose Hall, Kaduna. It was hosted by Graced for Active Progress Empowerment Initiative, founded by Dr. Grace A. John-Ugwuanya.

The summit is first of its kind and had girls from 31 secondary schools in attendance with other attendees who were graduates, corpers and teachers. Also represented were Hon. Samson Dikko, Hon. Comfort Amwe and a delegate from the Ministry of Education.

The objective of this summit was to reinforce the virtue of being a girl in the pursuit of academics. The students got involved and participated actively. They were energetic, open to newness, and curious at the same time. There was poetry recitations from different students. Their curiosity resonates with the fact that today’s students are bright. With consistent guidance and support, they will excel in their endeavors as their male counterparts.

However, in strength lies weakness. Most of the questions the girls asked were socially gender-based. In their problems, you could hear limits, fears, and withdrawals. It is obvious that they need more support from the world and mutual respect and understanding from the opposite sex. Such an initiative needs to be replicated for the opposite sex to have a balance.

There are many of such awareness for the female gender and little to none for the male gender. And results can be fully achieved if the masculine gender can have similar sensitization according to their gender. Therefore, there is a need to sensitize male students so we can have stable men, brothers, uncles, and husbands in the society.