Empowering Girls Initiative celebrates International Day of Girl Child in Ibadan

Empowering Girls Initiative, an arm of the Rotary International, District 9125 on Tuesday, celebrated the ‘International Day of Girl child’ with selected schools in Ibadan, Oyo State, where they engaged them in different vocational training and pep talks.

The project was put together by Rotary Clubs  and Rotaract Clubs in Ibadan with other partners.

Speaking at the event, a representative of the outfit in Oyo State, Morenike Barlatt-Hughes, said that empowering girls means supporting them to ensure that their basic needs are met; while working to transform the structures and institutions that reinforce and perpetuate gender discrimination and inequality.

She disclosed that every girl needs to develop self-confidence and make their voices heard among their peers in society.

“Today is International Day of Girl child and it is observed yearly, so we bring girls from 10 different schools to this place to mark this celebration.

“We don’t want a situation while we go to each school, we want to bring girls together so they can network and make new friends.

“We have to tell them about their values and reinstate into them who they are and how is important is education to them and how important for them not to have early child marriage,

“We also engaged them with different vocational training such as craft, paper flowers, soap making, key holders, sharpman e.t.c.

“It is very important in our world today that every child should at least have one skill in order to be self-employed apart from being an educated person.

“A girl child needs a good education. Education levels the playing field and enables her to compete fairly across gender.

“Education exposes a girl child to opportunities and helps develop her skills. A girl child needs to be mentored and taught the proper values that will improve her self-worth,” Barlatt-Hughes, former Rotary President said.

Secretary of the organisation, Emuoghoke Emoonene-Solotan, in her remarks highlighted the importance of girl child day.

“The girl child has been identified naturally as an endangered species.

“Rotary is an organisation that focuses on how to impact the lives of individuals and communities wherever we are.

“We brought girl children from secondary schools in order to network and learn a lot of life skills that they are going to live with for the rest of their lives and shape their lives,” she said.

Also,  President of the Rotary Club of Ibadan Gold, who is a member of the committee of the initiative, Dale Caleb said celebrating the International Day of Girl child this year is unique saying society care about them.

Dale encouraged the girls not to relegate themselves to the background urging them to desire and work towards achieving their dreams and always stand up for themselves.

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Empowering Girls Initiative celebrates International Day of Girl Child in Ibadan