NOA, UNICEF urge youths to speak against right abuses

youth

Nigerian youths

Nigerian youths

The Imo State Director of NOA, Mr Vitus Ekeocha, gave the advice on Thursday at the commemoration of 2020 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation(FGM) in Imo with the support of UNICEF.

The event was held at Annunciation Girls Secondary School, Umueze 1, Ehime Mbano, Imo.

The theme of the event was “Unleashing Youth Power, One Decade of Accelerating Actions for Zero Female Genital Mutilation by 2030.”

Ekeocha said that the UN, had in 2003, set aside Feb. 6 every year to commemorate zero tolerance for FGM, saying last year’s theme was “Translating Political Statements into Action.”

He said that this year’s theme was meant to encourage Nigerian youths to speak out about human right violations to help fight FGM and other human right abuses.

The NOA boss in Imo said the agency and UNICEF were creating constant awareness on the implications of human right abuses and its effects on children, especially the girl child and how to remedy the abuses.

He described the youth as the driving force of development in every society and who could play quality and important roles in decision making toward abandoning FGM.

According to him, the televisions and the radio are fraught with reports of abuse of the girl child the world over.

“Women now speak out and occupy better positions than men. Now UNICEF wants the youths, especially the girl child to speak out against any abuse because the girl child is most at risk in FGM practice.

“We want to engage the youths to be UNICEF advocates in abandoning FGM practice and other abuses. We want to impart knowledge on them because knowledge is power,” Ekeocha said.

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Mrs Ukachi Ukah, the State Coordinator, National Human Rights Commission(NHRC) in Imo State, described FGM as an aggressive and violent act against women and the girl child and urged the students to report such acts and abuses as well as seek appropriate remedy.

Quoting UNICEF, she said Violence Against Children (VAC) included all forms of physical or mental violence, injury and abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation and sexual violence.

Ukah said that there was a high prevalence of VAC in Nigeria, adding that before the age of 18, six out of 10 children experienced some form of violence, 50 per cent of them physical violence, while one out of four girls and one out 10 boys experienced sexual violence.

She said that violence had a serious impact on the lives and future of girls and boys, expressing regret that children were not disclosing violence nor seeking or receiving services.

Ihunanya Okoroji, a Legal Officer with the National Human Rights Commission, Imo, who spoke on child protection, said it involved preventing and responding to violence, exploitation and abuse against children.

She said that parents, guardians, government agencies and civil society organisations were responsible for protecting children.

Okoroji identified Imo State Child Rights Law 2004, Imo State FGM (Prohibition) Law 2017 and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) as the laws that protect children in Imo state.

She urged children to report to school authorities who would in turn report to the Ministry of Health, Gender Desk Office, Ministry of Gender and Vulnerable Groups Affairs, Child Development Department, NOA and the NHRC for appropriate actions.

The Principal of the School, Mrs Ngozi Izuogu, who was represented by the Dean of Studies, Mr Joseph Iwueke, expressed appreciation to UNICEF and NOA for the information.

She said the students, who were only girls, would continue to feel the impact of the visit and imbibe the teachings in their daily lives.

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