By Zubairu Idris
A group, Girls-Led Movement Building (GLMB), has urged the Katsina government to intensify efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the state.
The GLMB is a girls initiative supported by Save the Children, to guarantee child rights to education, health and general wellbeing.
Its Coordinator, Saudat Akilu, said this on Tuesday in Katsina during a courtesy visit to the Commissioners of Basic and Secondary Education, and Women Affairs, Zainab Musawa and Hadiza Abubakar-Yar’adua, respectively.
She said girls want a future where they have equal access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
“We hope to see a future where girls are protected from gender-base violence, early child and forced marriage, and human trafficking.
”We want a future where we are empowered to become leaders and agents of change,” she said.
Akilu also urged the government to provide a platform where girls could seek for help when their rights infringed at home or school.
She also called for proactive programmes to enhance girls access to digital literacy and skills to navigate the online world safely.
Also, Hafsat Abubakar-Maina, the Save the Children Champion in Katsina, stressed the need for full implementation of the Child Protection Laws in the state.
Abubakar-Maina said effective enforcement of the law would ensure that every child, especially girls are protected from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
She urged the government to intensify efforts in amplifying their voices, advocate for their rights, and prohibits forced marriage by intensifying awareness on the importance of girl child education.
Responding, Musa-Musawa, said the state has enacted a law prohibiting hawking and street begging by children during school hours.
She saud the state government initiated programmes to educate Almajiri (pupils of non formal Qur’anic alcohols), in a bid to to reduce the out-of-school children.
According to her, the ministry will reintroduce Guidance and Counseling Officers in schools, to guide students on their future career and issues related to GBV.
She said the state government in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), would provide facilities to expose students to digital literacy.
On her part, Abubakar-Yar’adua, said the state had passed into law the Child Protection Laws, established a GBV center, adding more centres would set up across the 34 local government areas.
The centres, she said, would provide emergency medical and psychological services to survivors.
She said the ministry would soon embark on enlightenment camping to sensitise communities on child rights, adding that, “we are telling victims and their relatives to come forward to report GBV incidences for prompt action, to serve as deterrent to others,” she said.
