Proprietress of Gills Montessori School Calls for Robust Investment in Girl-Child Education on International Day of the Girl
LAGOS/Nigeria: Mrs. Uchechukwu Adeh, the proprietress of Gills Montessori School (G.M.S.) in Fagbile Estate, Ijegun, has made a passionate plea for substantial investments in the education of the girl-child to secure a brighter future for them.
Adeh’s call comes on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl-Child, marked globally on October 11, 2023.
Under the banner of this year’s theme, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being,” Adeh emphasized the critical need to safeguard the educational rights of girls, ensuring they have safe spaces in schools to acquire knowledge. She firmly believes that access to quality education is the key to empowering the girl-child to make meaningful contributions to society at large.
The dedicated school proprietor also expressed her concern about the alarming prevalence of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Nigeria, particularly against girls. She underscored the potential of education, enlightenment, and advocacy programs in reducing GBV, stressing the importance of believing in and supporting GBV survivors. Adeh suggested that understanding the root causes of GBV and ensuring that girls are in school when they should be could significantly contribute to reducing these incidents.
Furthermore, Adeh stressed the economic empowerment of girls and women, asserting that this would enable them to compete favorably with their male counterparts. She called on school administrators to establish safe and loving environments for girls to thrive, feel loved, and be protected.
The International Day of the Girl-Child serves as a global platform to celebrate the girl-child and seek solutions to the challenges they face on a worldwide scale.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria is grappling with a staggering 15 million out-of-school children, with approximately 60 percent of them being girls. Adeh’s call for robust investment in girl-child education resonates strongly as a potential remedy to this dire situation.
