By Sola Charles
 |
| Children Child Right Advocacy club from C&S Primary School Majidun celebrating 2022 International Women's Day with drama, rhymes, debate and posters in Ikorodu Lagos, with support from SCI GSK INSPIRING project |
They also need to join hands in
making the society free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination against girls
and women – but respect and celebrate their potential and contributions to
creating a “sustainable tomorrow” for all.
Making the call on the occasion of
the 2022 International Women’s Day, the Country Director, Save the Children
International, Nigeria, (SCI), Mercy Gichuhi, noted that “Protecting the
environment is about preserving the planet earth for children, girls, and women,
to have a livable environment, ‘sustainable tomorrow’ and a brighter future.
According to Gichuhi, SCI Nigeria, a
sustainable tomorrow is achievable.“It is about peace, survival, social and
economic justice, and sustainable development. We welcome the theme of this year’s
International Women’s Day, ‘gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,’
as a matter of its critical relevance in recognizing the contribution of women
and girls around the world, who are exerting exemplary effort in response to
climate change, building resilient communities and a more sustainable future
for all children, girls, men, and women.
“One of the huge threats to ‘sustainable
tomorrow’ is climate change. Climate change is a threat to the rights of
children, girls, women, and particularly those living with disabilities. They
are the first and worst affected by the impact of climate change whether by
climate-related natural disasters or the impact of climate change on food
production, access to water, livelihoods, and basic social services.
Gichuhi urged all responsible
actors, including the government, private sectors, CSOs, FBOs, CBOs, and
communities to double and intensify efforts to achieve the global targets of
strengthening resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and
natural disasters.
She called for integrating climate
change measures into national policies, strategies, and planning; and improving
education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate
change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning systems,
which can save the lives of many children, girls, and women who are most
affected by the climate crisis.
She said that SCI will continue to
campaign and advocate with, and for the rights of the most marginalized children in Nigeria to ensure that no girl child is left behind or excluded
from the opportunity to access quality, safe, free, uninterrupted, and inclusive
education, health, nutrition, and other social services in a bid to achieve the
sustainable development goals.
Also speaking, Purity Oriaifo, SCI’s
Girl Champion said in communities today, girls continue to suffer from gender
inequality.
“In conflict, displacement, and
disaster situations, girls are being abducted, raped, and forced into marriage.
The issues with girls extend beyond child marriage, and female genital mutilation,
as it affects the girls’ entire life. Millions of girls were not privileged to
enjoy their childhood but were subjected to take responsibilities they were not
prepared for. That is why women, girls, and I will continue to advocate, raise
awareness and fight for a gender-equal Nigeria,” she noted.
Amanuel Mamo, Director of Advocacy and Campaign, SCI Nigeria said through the campaign, called, Girls’ Education Campaign, SCI is aiming to empower Nigerian girls and women to have a “sustainable tomorrow”, become resilient, learn, have livelihood opportunities, and make an informed decision on issues that affect them, including early, child and forced marriage.
“Today’s girls are tomorrow’s women. We can make a
difference in the lives of tomorrow’s women based on how we invest in and treat
girls, today. The future is now.”
