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.
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