By Joke Adeniyi-Jackson
A Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) Women and Youth Development Initiative (WOYODEV) has called for an end to child marriage in Kwara State.
WOYODEV made this known during a one-day workshop held, in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital last week.
The workshop which was targeted at building consciousness on the child marriage and sustain momentum in ending the age-long practice had in attendance Community Based Organisations (CBOs), Faith Based Organisations (FBOs), NGOs, human right activists, government officials and media as participants.
The technical session anchored by an Abuja-based consultant, Olu’seun Esan highlighted the policy documents, tools to engage and implementation framework to curb child marriage in the country.
In her address, the Executive Director of WOYODEV, Mrs. Tosin Apiriola Ajayi, said the training was meant to build capacities of CSOs, government officials and policy makers on the quest to end child-bride and betterment of the girl-child.
She added that the training will provide skills, information and framework for participants to better engage and integrate protection of girls into their activities.
Ajayi, who decried the high rate of child marriage in Nigeria, said one out of three children in the country is married off before the age of 18 and one in nine before clocking 15.
She attributed social, economic, cultural and political factors to child marriage in the country, noting that the consequences are high maternal and infant mortality rate, likelihood of HIV/AIDS, low socio-economic opportunities and increased exposure to physical, sexual and emotional violence.
Ajayi added that, “Right in the nexus of all those factors are unequal gender norms and power relations that devalue women and girls.”
While stressing that child marriage is a fundamental violation of human right, she called on stakeholders saddled with responsibility of protecting and upholding right of children to rise up against the practice.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Taibat Ayinde-Ahmed noted that child marriage is a barrier to social development.
She assured that the state government will work with stakeholders to address issues affecting women and girls, adding that perpetrators of child marriage would be prosecuted.
