Brenda Chidinma Imo-Eze
As part of the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, a Non-Governmental Organization in Ebonyi State has called for the immediate implementation of a child-friendly version of the Child Rights Law.
This advocacy was part of an event organised by Girl Up Africa in partnership with Better Health for Rural Women, Children, and the Internally Displaced (BERWO) foundation and sponsored by UNESCO 03 Project aimed at amplifying the voices of children in the fight against gender-based violence.
The event featured young girls from various secondary schools across the state, who, under the leadership of the Executive Director of Girl Up Africa, Omokide Chikodi presented a Charter of Demands to the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Moses Ijeh Odunwa.
While presenting the Charter of Demands, Victoria Agboti from Holy Child Secondary School, Afikpo LGA, of Ebonyi state appealed to the state government to provide access to child friendly law.
Adding “we demand for the child right law because in Ebonyi state we don’t have the child right law, so we are demanding for the law so that we can read it and understand it.
Another student, Gloria Igwe from State Special Secondary School, Opefi in Izzi LGA of Ebonyi state appreciated the UNESCO 0.3 for establishing reporting protocol where female students can easily report cases of abuse without fear.
She stressed on the importance of such support mechanism in schools “I will like the government to establish committees in different schools that will see to it that children come freely to report cases of abuse, they can go to them freely to report cases of abused without their identities exposed, or getting into bigger trouble, because that is the fear of many female children, that is why when ever they encounter this, they don’t voice out.
“And further more, a law as we stated in there needs to be established, that which should be established needs to be very effective. So as to protect the children, finally the children on the other hands needs to know their rights, the laws that are guiding them, so that they will be able to defend themselves and know what to do whenever their rights is being violated. I want to say a big thank you to UNESCO 0.3 for establishing a reporting protocol where the female children can come freely and report cases of abuse without fear, we are grateful” she stated.
Among the appeal made in the charter of demands includes the operationalization of the West African Commitment Agreement (WCA), which integrates family life and HIV education into the school curriculum.
Additionally, the training of teachers and health workers to better handle sensitive issues and for schools to be linked to health facilities for accurate sexual and reproductive health information.
Omokide Chikodi, who also doubles as UNESCO 0.3 Project Cordinator in Ebonyi state emphasized the need for increased budgetary allocation to support these initiatives. She said “we are calling for more funding for teacher training, better health linkages, and enhanced educational resources for girls. We hope to see these changes implemented by the time we return next year.”
The team leader of Better Health for Rural Women, Children, and the Internally Displaced (BERWO) Foundation, Professor Nkechi Echiegu, highlighted the importance of safeguarding young girls, stressing that early abuse could have long-term impacts,” he said.
“We always talk about the women forgetting that it takes the girl to become a women eventually and an abused girl child may just turned out to be an abusive woman who knows?” She questioned.
In the same vein the Coordinator of the Child Protection Network, Pastor Gabriel Odom added his voice to the call for access to child protection laws. He noted that existing laws, including the Ebonyi State Child Rights Law and the compulsory primary and secondary education law, remain inaccessible to stakeholders.
“Mr. Speaker we need to have access to these laws so that even as civil service practitioners we will understand what is in the law and advocate to the appropriate quarters.
“If we have these laws, including Ebonyi state child right law, the free and compulsorily primary and secondary law of Ebonyi state and many other laws that has something to do with Ebonyi children , ours is to advocate, we need access to these laws and ensure that it is been complied,” he stressed.
However, the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Moses Ijeh Odunwa, pledged to prioritize the protection of children and strengthen laws addressing gender-based violence. He encouraged the girls to speak up against abuse.
Stating, “We are ready to do more to protect the girls. Like mentioned, some who are either raped or any other gender based crime , the house of assembly is ready to assist if anyone comes to their knowledge , on that note, I say speak up if you are abused, if there is any abuses on you, you speak up, there are people who will fight for you, you are free to call any members of your constituency or call the speaker we will help you to get the person who abused you, either arrested or prosecuted,” he stated.
