Over the years, the challenges facing the girl child in early stage of life has been how to handle the problems and pressures that come with adolescence.
As a result of these crises that come with puberty and later adolescence, many Nigerian girl children have had to pay severe prices of which death top the chart.
These pressures and crisis, according to the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, has been responsible for the avoidable death of over 50, 000 Nigerian girl-children who die annually due to complications relating to wrong and poorly done abortions across the country as a result of lack of education available to girl child education and awareness.
The NMA, Ebonyi State chapter, disclosed that the majority of the victims were young school girls who fell victims of pressure relating to adolescence stage as well as lack of sensitization.
Speaking during the awareness campaign organized by the NMA National Committee on Girl Child Education at the Model Girls’ Secondary School, Ugwuachara, Ebonyi State, the National Chairman, Committee on Girl-Child Education, Dr Esike Chidi, decried high level risk involving Nigerian girl children who have been at the danger list of adolescence stage. Dr Esike called on the female students to take their studies very seriously and avoid all distractions that often lead them into going astray to the level of indulging in pre-marital sexual activities which has been the major causes of unwanted pregnancies in girl children.
He said early and pre-marital sexual intercourse in girl children inhibit their chances of furthering their education and also expose them to various risks which includes unwanted pregnancies which often lead to death of over 50, 000 Nigerian girl children annually through wrong abortions.
“The theme of this particular project is Adolescence and the Education of the Girl Child – Negotiating the Mine Field,” he said adding that they decided to interact with the students to create awareness of the major challenges facing them in their education through lectures, as well as help them find best solutions that would make their education most effective.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Chairman on the occasion and Principal of Urban Model Secondary School, Abakaliki, Mrs Nneoma Obasi, said the essence of the programme was to educate the vulnerable girl child on the need to protect themselves from men and other peer influence that could scuttle their educational pursuit.
She said the theme of the project was apt as it was very dear to her heart, especially in the face of various distractions from social media and other raging revolution, to educate the female students to learn how to behave and navigate through the mine fields that could pose great danger to their future.
Mrs Obasi also identified lack of early girl child education at home as the major cause of the problems facing girl children in the country and advocated for early girl child education at the family levels to enable an early education to protect the children from such dangers.
“I am very happy today that the theme of today’s seminar is a theme after my heart. I want to thank the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, for the time of organizing this seminar for our young vulnerable children to know how to take care of themselves and understand the changes that occur in their bodies as a result of adolescence,” she said.
She also advocated for a stiffer punishment against various harmful practices against girl child which include female gentile mutilation and other harmful practices that pose great health challenge to the girl children and make them more vulnerable to diseases and deaths.
The host principal of Model Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School, Mrs Charity Chukwu commended the NMA Committee on Girl Child Education for their prompt awareness campaign on how to safeguard the future of female children in the state and protect them from various harmful activities like female genital mutilation and other problems.
Mrs Chukwu decried lack of early education for girl children in handling various problems affecting them which includes menstruation and other pressures associated with early adolescence.
She called for proper training and enlightenment for girl children in how to handle some of the changes that occur in their bodies as a result of puberty or adolescence in order to protect themselves from various peer pressures.
The NMA state Chairman in Ebonyi, who was represented by the Vice Chairman, Dr Ucha Sunday said the essence of the seminar was to educate both the teachers and students on need to learn how to protect themselves from various dangers.
By: Emmanuel Uzor,
Sun News
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