The Peoples’ Democratic Party Governors Forum (PDP-GF) yesterday declared that every girl deserves care, protection, and equal rights.
The forum, under the leadership of Governor Bala Mohammed, stated this on the occasion of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child.
The forum added that the theme of the 2023 International Day of the Girl Child, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being,” is apt, and assured that it will remain in the vanguard for the promotion of the wellbeing and protection of the needs of the Girl Child in the country.
A statement by the director general of PDP Governors Forum, Hon CID Maduabum, said the forum is concerned that situations of Gender discrimination, limited access to education and quality life, unequal career opportunities, adequate healthcare, and nutrition still occur in the country.
“The Forum further notes that some deep – seated cultural beliefs and societal burdens of responsibilities on the Girl-Child such as farm and house work, marriage issues, still abound in the country, which seriously interfere with the education and acquisition of skills by the Girl Child for survival.
“The PDP – GF believes that every girl deserves care, protection, and equal rights.”
The statement further said PDP led state governments have taken the lead in promoting girl child education.
“To promote girls’ attendance in school, a PDP state Government in the North East for instance, pays N16,260 for girls in secondary schools across the state, comprising N5,000 for junior secondary and N10,000 for senior secondary per term.
“The conditional payment is part of the state’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment programme aimed at fostering an enabling environment for the girl-child, as well as promoting behavioural change through communication campaigns, engagement and advocacy.
“In most of the PDP states , the Governments have domesticated the Violence Against Persons Law; established a Gender-Based Violence Referral Centre ; established a Gender-Based Violence Management Committee and opened the State’s Sex Offenders Register, all in an effort to ensure that the girl-child is protected and safe.
“Over the years, most PDP state governments have been at the forefront of the development of the girl-child and women generally. Its implementation of the free education policy for children from the Primary School to the Senior secondary school level in public schools is all encompassing without any discrimination against the girl child.
“ In almost all the PDP-governed States, issues of women and the Girl-child are placed in the front burner by government as demonstrated in the free health care policy for pregnant women, children between the age bracket of (0-5) years and the aged with no discrimination against women or the Girl-child.
“On the occasion of this celebration, the Forum salutes all Amazons holding positions of authority around the world and other notable female Nigerians at home who are inspiring hope in the Girl-Child that there is no limit to what they can be if they choose the right path.
“We assure that the Forum will continue to ensure full implementation of the Child Rights Act and other policies/interventions to provide an enabling environment for the Girl-Child to thrive.”
