(http://fmi.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/violence-against-women-300x224.jpg) Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Zainab Maina has commended the National Assembly for passing into law the Violence Against Persons and the Rape and Child Molestation Bills.
Receiving the project coordinator of Flying Broom Women's Communication and Research Association, an International Organization based in Turkey, advocating for end of child marriages in the World, Hajiya Maina said Nigerian Women and Africa are very grateful to the National Assembly for what she considers a centenary gift, coming at a time when Nigeria is preparing to celebrate 100 years as a nation. "I wish to strongly commend the resolve of our National Assembly for this giant stride. Nigerian Women and indeed Women of Africa are in deep appreciation of this 'Centenary gift' to Nigerian Women from our National Assembly," she stated.
The Minister stressed that the Nigerian Government under President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to the protection and welfare of the girl-child and women in Nigeria.
She pointed out that the domestication of the Child Rights' Act, the establishment of a National Task Force on the Girl-Child and the Ministry's mandate of coordinating the ECOWAS Gender Development Centre Programme to sponsor indigent girls to schools were indicative of addressing the issue of child marriages, hawking, trafficking and child labour in Nigeria.
According to the Minister, early marriage of girls is a harmful traditional practice which has become extremely worrisome. "Beside the risk associated with it during pregnancy, there is also the issue of complications during delivery which often result in Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) and the consequent disruption of education," she pointed out.
Maina observed that the issue of Child Marriage ranks among the negative practices, values, customs and beliefs that most often deny the girl-child good health, education and effective participation in economic, political and indeed, national development.
The Minister regretted that despite extensive policy intervention to address child abuse and violence against women, these unhealthy practices still abound. She however, expressed optimism that the visit of the Turkish delegation to Nigeria will establish workable strategies to further tackle the unhealthy practices.
The Project Coordinator of Flying Broom, Seun Somuncuoglu, said their Foundation is one of the 61 Civil Society Organizations in Turkey, working closely with Girls not Brides Project, which is a global partnership of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) around the world to end child marriages.
She said they were in Nigeria to learn from its good practices of addressing the issues of child marriage, rape, trafficking and child labour, to enable them develop a workable national action plan to address the menace.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Habiba Muda Lawal, assured that the Ministry will continue to work with various stakeholders and especially non-governmental organizations, to actualize the agenda of the present Administration of transforming Nigeria in all aspects of national development.
Via: Federal Ministry of Information (FMI) Nigeria