The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and stakeholders in Gombe and Bauchi states have called for urgent and coordinated action to end child marriage, protect girls’ rights and guarantee equal access to education, including for girls living with disabilities.
They made the call during a one-day stakeholders’ engagement organised on Saturday by UNICEF Bauchi field office in partnership with the Bauchi Radio Corporation in Gombe, as part of activities marking the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11.
The engagement, themed “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” brought together traditional rulers, women’s groups, development partners, media practitioners and girls to examine the cultural, economic and social barriers limiting the development of the girl child.
Speaking at the event, UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist at the Bauchi Field Office, Ladi Alabi, called for a comprehensive approach to addressing the challenges confronting girls, particularly those exposed to early marriage and other harmful practices.
Alabi warned that child marriage could have devastating consequences for girls’ health, “education and future opportunities, noting that early pregnancy and childbirth could expose them to complications, including vesicovaginal fistula (VVF),” she added.
She urged stakeholders to prioritise girls’ education and empowerment, stressing that investing in girls was critical to breaking the cycle of harmful cultural practices and enabling them to contribute to society.
