‘No child should go through the kind of abuse I experienced’

Gift Jimoh is a girl-child advocate, philanthropist, journalist, digital marketer, and writer who hails from Kogi State. In this interview by IFEDAYO OGUNYEMI, she speaks about how she was molested as a child and girl-child education in Nigeria.

YOUR foundation has been involved in the education of girl-child as well as the eradication of girl-child molestation. What would be your takeaway from this advocacy so far?

Going by what we have noticed over the years, it is still a long way from home. Parents, religious leaders, people in authority and, sometimes, the victims themselves, do not fully grasp the implications of molestation. And that is why we need everyone’s hand to be on deck to completely or drastically reduce the issue of child abuse.

Like you said, some religious leaders do not fully see the implications of child molestation as they try to sweep some of these allegations under the carpet. How does this make you feel and what kind of changes would you want to see in them and others like them going forward?

I feel terrible, to say the least, because none of the holy books permits such an act. I would like to see them act swiftly without bias or sentiments when issues like this are brought to their notice. They should also discourage it with the message they preach to their followers.

What has been the challenge of the foundation so far vis-a-vis the objectives of educating the girl-child?

Our major challenge right now is funding, we have a lot of projects we would like to carry out but we lack the financial capacity to do so. A lot of young people will not agree to put in the work without pay so yet again we have the problem of finances because we fund projects through our personal money and sometimes free will donations.

Another challenge is the families. I tried to put up a mini-library in a village in Nasarawa State but I was met with resistance as some families still believe the place of a girl child is the kitchen. They didn’t want their daughters to be educated so they refuse the development.

What inspired you to take on this noble duty in the society in the first instance?

As someone that was molested as a child, I understand the implications of that in my life and I do not want any child to go through what I went through. I am an advocate of a free, fair and happy life.

Would you like to share your molestation experience?

I am not ready to go into that yet.

Some women and girls have found themselves in uncomfortable situations as a result of lack of formal education among other reasons, how do you think they can wiggle their ways out of this?

You are right, and that is why I am also advocating for education for girls and women, because education helps you understand your rights and how to defend them, it is our only sword as women. Some of these people know this because they are against education for women. The only way is for these women to understand this and decide to be educated or better still allow organisations like mine to help them.

What would be the role of the government and the parents in this?

Parents and the government have a huge role to play. Currently, I am advocating for the government to fund basic education as this will go a long way. Parents should try to educate themselves about these societal vices and pass on that knowledge to their wards as well.

In educating the girl child, what should be the role of the society?

The society should support every movement that has to do with education for the girl-child. As the saying goes, when you educate a girl you educate a nation. Everyone should be fully involved in calling on the government to fund basic education.

On this front of educating the girl-child and reducing child molestation, do you think we have done enough as a country?

No, we haven’t. There are still states that encourage underage marriage, and the government should hold such states accountable.

Where do you see the country in this regard in the next 10-20 years?

That is a lot but I am hopeful that by then, a lot of positive changes will be seen in our society as regards this.

The society we live in appears to be male-dominated. Have you had an experience where an opportunity was taken from you or women in your space on gender grounds?

No I haven’t faced that, but I have had to work with some men who think I do not deserve that position thereby trying to belittle my work and experience.

How did you respond to situations where men belittle your work because you’re a woman?

I ignore them because there is no point. I just keep doing what I know how to do best.

Growing up, how did you view the female gender in terms of rights and opportunities?

I have always believed in equality. For me it is not gender specific.

How do you combine this social empowerment with the work you do as a journalist?

Not an easy one, but I have been able to find a balance so none of them has to suffer my absence.

What advice would you give young girls and women who are aspiring to be like you?

My advice to young girls aspiring to be like me is to keep their heads up, believe in themselves and the fact that there are no limitations whatsoever to stop you from your goals.