13 December 2017
A girl at a time..... SANITARYAIDNG
Around the world, menstrual hygiene products are still unaffordable for the less privileged and disadvantaged women. In Nigeria, it is estimated that the average menstruating person between ages 12 and 49 will spend about N24,500 ($70) per year on basic menstrual hygiene products.
Women are actually highly
vulnerable to infections when they are on their menstrual period, and so if
they have to make use of alternative and unhygienic items, it becomes more
dangerous. Majority of these women are already living in unhealthy conditions
that just makes the risk exponential.
In our society, people just
assumed that menstruation is a woman thing and they should deal with it themselves
because it is a woman’s problem, and so it shouldn’t be something that everyone
pays attention to. I believe that through sensitization and raising awareness,
or by just talking about what getting your period entails, people’s opinion can
be changed.
Mothegirlchild has taken
a special interest in a nongovernmental Organisation (SANITARYAIDNG) who has
the interest of providing menstrual hygiene products to internally displaced
persons in Nigeria and the less privileged. We will be helping in raising funds
for this cause. Please no amount is too small even if it is
the price of one pad you donate, be rest assured that one girl gets that
pad.
There are thousands of less privileged girls and young women in Nigeria that can't afford these pads yet they need it every month, some of these girls use clothes, tissue paper, even rags that end up having harmful effects on them... Please this is what we are trying to reduce and in the end, eradicate. *A girl at a time*....
There are thousands of less privileged girls and young women in Nigeria that can't afford these pads yet they need it every month, some of these girls use clothes, tissue paper, even rags that end up having harmful effects on them... Please this is what we are trying to reduce and in the end, eradicate. *A girl at a time*....
One click on this link http://bit.ly/DonateSANG
and you would've helped at least one girl.... We are having another outreach soon, please help us put a smile on their faces.... THANK YOU
and you would've helped at least one girl.... We are having another outreach soon, please help us put a smile on their faces.... THANK YOU
29 November 2017
Child trafficking in Enugu
According to an investigative report by Bayo Akinloye of Punch Newspaper, Enugu State Government officials are deeply involved in the child trafficking saga going on in that State.
The amount of Baby factories in Enugu has been on the increase as young pregnant girls are held in such homes until they give birth. This has been in the news lately as the police keep unfolding such of these practices.
This is an example of one of such practices in which a 22year old Nworie Chijindu found herself. Nworie was one of three other girls that was arrested in January 2016. Before all these, she was a sales girl and along the line she got pregnant for her boyfriend. As a result of getting pregnant outside weedlock, she ran away from home and she was introduced to Dr Ozor Akpudacie. The doctor was to assist in nursing her through pregnancy. it was at this clinic that she met there otherr girls ( Miracle, Emmanuela and Chigozie)
According to Dayo's report, the police raided Dr Akpodachie's clinic and told them that they were been rescued from the doctor as his plan is to steal their babies after they give birth. At eight months pregnant Nworie was taken into the custody of the police and transferred to a clinic to give birth against her wish of going back to her family. after she gave birth, it was reported that she was maltreated and cajoled to surrender her baby. when she refused, she was forced to sign an agreement that she doesn't want to keep the baby but she refused and insisted that she wanted her baby. At some point, she said she was offered N50,000 to sign the form but she refused and she wa treatened that she will have to spend 10years in jail if she doesn't but she insisted she would rather be in jail with her baby. As the pressure mounted, her sister had to step in but she was declined access to Nworie.
Nworie's Councel who happens to be the President of Civil rights realisation and Advancement Network, Olu Omotayo also spoke about how Nworie was detained for 3 days and then arraigned on the 1st of April 2016 before the magistrate and then sent back to jail.
In the case of Ajie an Onwe, their babies were supposedly taken away from them and they got N50,000 respectively.
Dr Akpodachie was also said to have corroborated Nworie's story as he runs a Social welfare home that is approved by the Government. According to the report, he said he was approved to shelter pregnant young girls through delivery and then transfer them to the ministry who arranges the adoption process to befitting families.
my though on this their story is that Adoption is a legal process, however it should not be abused. as it stands right now, it is obvious that these guys work hand in hand to obtain children from young girls that 'catch belle'. This is absolutely wrong as they do not deserve to be pressured into giving away their children for adoption. it should be a desiton that one should take on their own without any influence. it is assumed that it is a business venture where they exploit these girls by selling their children to adoption agencies for example, an adoption agency based in Sweden claims that about 77 babies were adopted from Nigeria between 2008 and 2014
Photo credit :UNICEFUSA
14 November 2017
Sophia The Robot
The fact that a robot was granted an Saudi Arabian citizen has brought about a huge backlash because women in this same country are highly restricted by the laws that governs them.
Social media users all over the world are lashing on the fact that a robot is able to achieve what a lot of Saudi Arabian women are not.
Saudi Arabian law requires a woman to always be accompanied by a male family member to public places however, Sophia doesn't go on stage with a companion of any sort, she doesn't cover her hair, wear the Abaya or hija, no scarf and yet Saudi Arabia is the first country in the world to grant a robot citizenship.
It is therefore obvious that after recently saying that they will begin to allow women obtain driver's license this country still has a long way to go as far as the right of women is concerned. According to ABC News, Human right Activists have labelled Saudi Arabia to be among the most oppressive country in the whole world.
8 November 2017
Miss Peru 2017
Gender based violence i a very terrible situation that is eating up our society and if something drastic is not done, so many women will not leave to tell the story. This is why the organizers of the Beauty Pageant Miss Peru 2017 decided to use the opportunity to spread and raise awareness about gender based violence in Peru.
During the Beauty Pageant, contestants are usually required to state their statistics on stage however, during this pageant, the contestants did not mention their height, bust and hip sizes, they gave statistics based on gender violence in Peru. for example a contestant introduced herself as Melina Machuca, and she said she represents the department of Cajamarca and her statistics are, more than 80% of women in her city are suffering from violence
Another contestant said 'My name is Romina Lozzono and I represent the constitutional province of Collao and my statistics are, over 3,114 women were victims of sex trafficking up till 2014.
During the question time for the finalists who made it to the last stage of the pageant, contestants were asked what law governing their Country they would like to change in other to fight Gender based violence.
This question actually got me thinking and if asked the same question, i would say that the Judiciary should be more swift when it comes to Gender based violence. If you have been following this blog, i am sure you will remember the case of a nine year hold minor that was sexually violated and the poor girl was threatened that she will be killed if she told anyone what happened, is still in Court and they have continued to adjourn and adjourned the case since the middle of the year.Justice shouldn't take too long to be served. The offense needs to be fresh in the head of the offender so that he can understand the gravity of what he/she has done and can learn from their mistake.
31 October 2017
Curbing Child Sex Trafficking
Sex traffickers make use of various means to abduct children these days and Social media is one of such means where they do not just abduct children, but also groom them before abduction. Parents are advised to make sure that they educate their children about the disadvantages of social media. i am not saying social media is a bad thing but i am sure that you all know that it has its own advantages and disadvantages.
I do not however think it is ideal for children to put their location on social media as it makes it too easy for them to be located by predator who pretend to be friends.
It is also very important to know and understand our teenager's opinion about sex at this stage as we all know that they have already developed an understanding of what sex is and you as a parent can not say you would like to force your own opinion, believe or understanding on them. If that is done the teenager will begin to hide things from such parent and the worst scenario is that the child will begin to confide in other people that might lead them astray and can end up running away from home.
Parents have to address the topic of sexting, unsafe relationships and abstinence delicately as experts urge us to talk about these things as it will make them confident to discuss such issues as relating to sex with their parents rather than a total stranger who can take advantage of them.
It is possible that at some point or another, a child might have been harassed sexually and they did not confide in you, here are some signs that you may notice:
The child begins to isolate herself from the family and doesn't want to be seen.
Sudden change in behavior.
Sudden change in her performances at school.
Unexplained injury and low self esteem.
These signs should never be overlooked. if the child at this stage still refuses to speak with you, please take her to see a specialist before they find solace else where.
26 October 2017
FREEDOM
The video had different young girls from different countries, race and nationality showing that these issues are not restricted to certain race or continent but rather it is a global issue that needs to be addressed globally.
The video was directed by MJ Delaney, produced by Melani Gate's foundation, project everyone and Unicef.
In the video, it was highlighted that a girl dies every 5minute as a result of violence, one in four girls are given out in early/child marriage, that majority of the people affected as a result of human trafficking are women, that about 63million women had gone through some sort of female genital mutilation, and finally that there are 130 million girls currently out of school.
The video shows a high number of girls in need of help however, the major aim of the video is to create more awareness on the problems that young girls all over the world are facing. in the video, people are encouraged to put an end to child marriage, send girls to school, and put an end to violence against girls.
Please help spread this awareness to make the world a better place for all of us
watch the video below:
22 October 2017
Low Quality of Education In Nigerian Schools
During the stakeholder's meeting recently conducted by the Development Research Project Center (DRPC) in Abuja on the education of girls, the Jigawa State Commissioner for education commented on how low the quality of teaching is in schools, as trained teachers are not applying the skills that they obtained from their various training institutions. she said that because of this, children are not learning much in schools and she emphasis the reason for the government to address this issue and make sure that quality education is being delivered in our schools across the nation.
Judit Walker, who is the Executive Director of the Development Research Project Center encourages the Education founding agencies that they need to be more flexible enough to allow Non-governmental organisations and well-meaning Nigerian Citizens give some sort of support towards the girl child education where and when need be.
During the meeting, Mohammad Abubakar representing the Kano Emirate council said that the most important means of improving life and families is by educating the girl child. he also reiterated the interest of the Emire of Kano Mohammad Sanusi 11 on the importance of educating the girl child across the Northern part of Nigeria.
Musa Christey a representative of Malala Founndation said that her foundation is willing to partner with traditional institutions in other to make sure that girls are enrolled in schools and that girls that had at some point dropped out of school are encouraged to return to school to complete their education.
Education is the best thing you can give a child however, half or low quality education is very dangerous to a child and the society at large therefore the quality of education in schools need to be improved and the government Monitoring body for education need to do their job. Any school that their teaching isn't up to standard should be closed.
18 October 2017
FGM is a violation of the rights of the girl child
The World Health Organisation's (WHO) research on the reason why some people still indulge in Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) shows that it is practiced in other to have control over the female's sexuality because it is assumed that if the clitoris or certain parts of the female genitals is not cut off, the woman will be insatiable sexually which will lead to promiscuity and infidelity in marriage.
There has, however, been various campaigns addressing why this belief has to be stopped because FGM is still happening in our society today. Mr. Fall Mohammed of UNICEF acknowledges the effort that has been made so far in other to end this dangerous act but he stresses the fact that there is still a long way to go.
According to the National Demographic and Health Survey, 2013 conducted by UNICEF five state of Nigeria were highlighted to still be practicing this act of FGM. The states are Osun, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Imo and Oyo states.
The campaign against FGM is still an ongoing thing as there are still so many people that need to be educated and informed that there are no medical benefits of FGM but only physical and mental torture.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, Mr. Bolanle Ambode who is the wife of the Lagos State governor said she doesn't agree to young girls being subjected to such a dehumanizing act just because they need to avoid some social stigma. she says that 45% of most adult women in Lagos has undergone some sort of FGM as reported by the demographic health survey 2013 and the reason for the presence of FGM victims as a result of migration from other states of the country.
At the Federal level, the wife of the Nigerian President Mrs. Aisha Buhari also commenced a National Campaign last year to put an end to the practice of FGM in Nigeria. She calls on every Nigerian Woman to stand against FGM because it is a violation of the rights of the girl child.
FGM is however not just a situation going on in Nigeria or Africa alone, it was reported by the National Health Service (NHS) in May 2016 that although FGM is an illegal act in England, FGM cases get reported on a daily basis.
A female Genital Mutilation is an act of violence against the girl child and the fight against this act needs to be strengthened by parents and adults learning that it is very dangerous and damaging to the health of the girl child. campaigns against FGM shouldn't stop on till people are educated right from the grassroots in our villages to the classrooms in our schools.
Photo credit: UNICEF
AHF is actually donating 1,000,000 pads to Nigeria and two other African countries namely Zambia and Uganda. AHF started its operations in Nigeria in 2011 however, it has been operating in other countries of Africa.
Mr Aborisade acknowledges the fact that it was only recently that he got to know about the various challenges that young girls go through on a regular basis for their menstrual periods because a lot of them are unable to afford sanitary pads. he cited and example of a young in Benue State who because she couldn't afford sanitary pad went ahead to make use of cotton wool for her period and the cotton wool got stocked in her vagina. oh yes! you guessed right..... she was in excruciating pains and had to be operated on. some girls out there can not even afford cotton wool and you will be amazed at what they use for their menstruation.
Mr Aborisade further explains that these pads will be shared among six states in Nigeria which are, Benue, Anambra, FCT, Kogi and Cross River States respectively. AHF i believe, is using this gesture to admonish the Nigerian government to do something for these young girls who stay out of school during their menstrual periods because they can not afford menstrual hygiene products.
If you have been reading this blog you will know that i strongly believe that our government can make sanitary pads available for free in public secondary schools especially. this will ensure that these young girls complete their education and can achieve something worthwhile in life. we should always have in mind that these young girls are the mothers of tomorrow and if they do no get educated, then you can imagine what the future of our generation will be like.
Here are some tips on how to prevent the girl child from been recruited into prostitution as suggested by FACES now together freedom.
Children between the ages of 8 to 10 are usually the target of these prostitution recruiters. therefore, you need to teach children all that they need to know should in case they find themselves in such a predicament.
Prostitution recruiters visit typical teen hangouts such as the movies, malls, school playground, etc. therefore make sure that your girl child is supervised and not left alone in such places.
Prostitution recruiters are always in search of girls that are isolated from their friends. so make sure that she is with a group thereby making her less of a target.
Make sure your child doesn't go to school and come back home all by her self.
Always check your child's email, direct messages on social media and all internet activities because recruiters can make use of this medium to build a relationship with your child and earn their trust.
Make sure to screen boyfriends by checking with his parent for his age as recruiters can reduce their age just to make them accepted.
Have a code like saying 'i am fine' means that you need help. this way, you can communicate without a third party suspecting the message you are passing across.
Make sure you have a specific check-in time with your child when she goes out alone and make sure that she understands that if she doesn't check in at that time you will raise an alarm.
When your child attends a party, make sure that a venue is a safe place and that she is with people that you can trust because recruited have been reported to visit teenage parties very often.
Always advise your child not to leave her drink or water unattended to at a party as something can be dropped into it while she wasn't watching.
29 September 2017
free Red days
The female body has an effective apparatus that
protects the reproductive system during the menstrual period, however, dirty and
unhygienic menstrual attitude can lead to the most offensive odor which is
common among young girls in school.
Bad use of sanitary products such as letting a pad
dry on you as a result of not changing frequently can lead to infection and
various levels of irritation and unease. Pads are usually supposed to be
changed at least 3-4 times a day and not until they are full or soiled. Isn’t it
a terrible thing to see sanitary pads flying around on the streets, sometimes
you even see dogs struggling with it? (Disgusting right?).
Pads can
harbor various infections and therefore needs to be disposed properly.
Some women make use of old and used cloth as a
result of limited access to pads or as a result of financial restrictions, they
cannot afford to buy pads. In other to prevent infections, disposable pads are
recommended to be used for menstruation. Some mothers even think that it is ideal
to use the cloth as it is washable and reusable but what they fail to realize is
that sanitary pads are more comfortable and easy to dispose of. An infection in
the vagina easily moves to the urinary tract and that is the reason I advise no
reusable item for menstruation.
Most young women think that when they are on their
period, something strange is happening to their body. The dynamics of
menstruation can feel very strange to a young girl that is just starting to
menstruate and this is why the parents need to be readily available to teach
them everything that they need to know. It is necessary to take note of every
irregularities and change in menstrual pattern.
Stress, Lack of exercise, an unhealthy diet and
hormonal disorder can lead to menstrual irregularities. And in turn, result in abnormal
bleeding such as bleeding which causes anemia.
It is a sad but true reality that a lot of young
girls stay out of school. In Tanzania, a ten-day survey was conducted and it
was discovered that most schools do not have water, menstrual hygiene products, and clean toilets facilities and these factors are some of what makes the girls
remain at home during their menstrual periods. This scenario is not just
peculiar to Tanzania alone. In most African countries, this is the situation , especially in public schools. Another research was conducted by the united
nations (UNICEF) in 2003 indicating that 1 in 10 African girl misses out on
school activities by not going to school during their menstrual period which
usually leads to the dropping out of school.
This is why there is need for menstrual hygiene to
be taught in schools and also menstrual hygiene products should to be readily
available for free in schools.
President
Nana Nkufo -Addo of Ghana during the last Eid Kabir Ceremony admonished Muslim
faithfuls to make sure that they pay keen attention to the education of their
children most especially the girl child.
During
the Eid prayers that took place at the independence square in Ghana, the
president in his speech said that to tackle ignorance, poverty and diseases, we
need to get our children educated. He made reference to Prophet Mohamed’s
warning to his followers and I quote ‘knowledge is the lost property of the
believer, let him or her find it wherever he will’.
He
however acknowledges the fact that there are various barriers in the way of
education and finance is the highest of them. He asked a rhetorical question
saying that by what means do we attain religious responsibility of attaining
knowledge if the means are not available?
He
continued by emphasising the fact that the Ghanaian government has tried in
various ways to encourage the education of children and an example of such is
the introduction of free senior school program. This program is a policy of the
government to help with the improvement of education standard in Ghana. The
policy will see that the total cost of tuition fee is catered for, feeding is
catered for as well as accommodation for everyone registered into senior
secondary school. It is observed that a staggering 57.8% of the Ghanaian
population is currently below the age of 25 year old which means that more than
half of the population of Ghana fall under the age bracket of those that should
be attending school or just finishing school. Therefore, President Nana-Akufo
Ado encourages Muslim Faithfuls across Ghana to take advantage of the amazing
opportunity to send their children to school.
This is a
good one from Ghana and I am super excited about this! To all my Ghanaian
people make sure the news get round so that all our children will have the
education that they deserve.
18 September 2017
Child Sexual Abuse
Child sexual abuse is an under reported offense in
Nigeria and it is even gradually becoming some sort of epidemic that is
gradually becoming some sort of epidemic that is very difficult to measure. A survey
conducted by the United Nations on demographics and health reported that 10% of
girls might have experienced sexual violence between the ages of 10 - 14years,
30% of girls might experience sexual violence between the ages of 15 - 19years
and in general, about 42% of Nigerian girls experience some sort of sexual
violence.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about a 9 year old girl
that was sexually abused by her next door neighbour (if you missed it catch up here) the case is still in court and has been adjourn to the 16th of
October 2017. The innocent girl was just stepping out to use the toilet when
the neighbour called her and assaulted her. There is no magical way of totally getting rid
of sexual abuse of children but there is one thing that can be done and it is
called PREVENTION.
Preventive methods can be put in place especially
since the sexual abuse happen around the homes and school environments. I was recently
at a training that was conducted by MONA International Children’s Foundation
for facilitators against child sexual abuse, and I will be sharing with you a
few tips that I learnt on how to prevent Child Sexual Abuse.
1. We need to understand that all children are vulnerable no matter your social status. Do not be of the school of thought that it is only children that are less privileged that fall victims of sexual abuse.
2. Sexual predators can come in any form such as pastors, uncles, neighbours and even some fathers however that is not to say that all men are pedophiles or sexual abusers, No! Please don’t get me wrong. All I am trying to say is paedophile and sexual abuser is not written on anybody’s face and by the way most of these sexual abusers, when caught they always say it is their first time. So we need to make sure that our daughter do not fall victim.
3. To prevent sexual abuse, our young girls should not be left alone with a stranger. This is extremely very dangerous as the stranger will commit the act and away with the notion that he absolutely has nothing to lose.
4. Children, most especially the girl child should not be left at home with a young male relative as they are young and can be easily tempted.
5. There should be no room for unnecessary intimacy between the girl child and male family members.
6. Mothers should build a very strong trust bond with their daughters. This point is very important because all children are very vulnerable to sexual abuse but the girl child is at a higher risk. Mothers need to let the girl child understand that they can confide in them. You need to listen to everything she say and even the things that she is not saying. Reading her body language and cajoling her to talk to you even if she isn’t in the mood to do so. When it comes to the issue of sexual assault, parents need to approach the topic with the child in tenderness, patience and affection.
7. We also need to avoid sending young children on errands within the neighbourhood. If you really have to, you need to impose it on them not to go into anybody’s house or cars but directly to where you asked them to go.
8. For Schools, a Child Psychologist should be employed and readily available in every schools so that potential problems in a child can be easily identified and sexual violence can be detected and eradicated in schools.
I will also like to remind us that the concept of sex education shouldn’t be confined to secondary schools alone because children of ages 4, 5, and 6 years are falling victims of sexual assault. We can prevent these by teaching our children early enough about their body parts. They need to know which body part is private and which one isn’t and if anyone tries to touch the 'private part' they should be reported. It should be noted that these predators usually entice the kids by offering them goodies such as sweets, chocolates, money etc. and always threaten them not to tell anybody.
In case you live in Lagos State, Nigeria, the short service code to call in case of child abuse using your mobile phone is ‘6820’
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