The Chief Executive Officer of the Educational Initiatives and Iyaniwura Foundation , Miss Taiwo Ololade Salvador has called on Nigerians to respect the girl – child and give her room to bring out her God – Ordained talents.
Salvador defied the Lagos traffic and early morning downpour to organise an interactive session on the International Day of the Girl – Child at the head office of the Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre , (WARDC), Ikeja Lagos
” I want Nigerians to respect girls, to give them rooms, for them to bring out who they are, allow girls to be what they want to be, there shouldn’t be any barrier, religion, education, or anything to stop them.
” There are lot of girls that have the courage and ability to express themselves, to be who they want to be in their life. But they need people to lift them up, to give them courage and to give them rooms to be what they want to be.
“Whatever a boy can do, a girl can also do it, so let give them that opportunity to bring out that value in them, to achieve their goals. We should encourage a girl – child to speak out and for her to look for the best, the government should help the girl – child on her education”.
“Part of the reason why we organise this interactive programme is for the parents to listen more and communicate with them. So today, we are telling you there is an importance of a child being born as a female”, Salvador said.
During the course of the event, the girls were asked to discuss about the ill – issues affecting the girls on daily basis and they were able to raise some few points: Education,(Lack of school), Health (Female Mutilation), Religion ( Early Child marriage), Forced Labour and human trafficking.
The discussion also led to the measures to be taken so as to eliminate all forms of discrimination against girls; against health and nutrition; against economics exploitation and labour as well as.negative cultural practice against girls.
The girls were also advised to communicate with their parents, teachers and to always listen to them to know that they can do what they set their minds to do and to also remember that they are winners.
