THE GIRL-CHILD DAY 2022: Accord Party Chieftain Urges Gov’t To Shun Double Standard
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Accord Party Candidate for House of Representatives
Ahoada West/Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Federal Constituency
by Oyagiri Chime-emeleThe House of Representatives candidate for Ahoada West/Ogba/Egbema/ Ndoni federal constituency, on the platform of Accord Party, High Chief Kaliwana Ali, has urged the federal government to shun double standard in handling the girl child challenges.
Chief Ali, who made the call during a media chat with newsmen Tuesday, October 11th, at her country home, Odiokwu community, accused the government of insincerity in handling the girl child developmental issues.
She queried the rationale in bringing up the girl child and afterwards hinder her participation in governance through policies and cultural barriers and beliefs.
Her words: “What is the gain in bringing up the girl child and then turning around to hinder her participation in
governance and other areas by cultural practices and beliefs or government policies?
“The women have taken their destinies in their hands and so what is required for the government to
do now, is to enshrine policies that spells out in clear terms and as stipulated and applied by best practices all over the world percentages of positions that should be occupied by women.
“A good example is
the 35% affirmative action female for elective positions.
“”Even as this very special day is being celebrated all over the world, the Nigerian government should
consider giving the girl child and the women their pride of place in the Nigeria society.”
The Accord Party chieftain stated that with enabling environment, the girl child has the capacity, strength and intelligence to stand tall to handle assigned responsibilities, pointing out that their voices are now loud.
“The girl child/Women all over the world have shown capacity, strength, intelligence, and
responsibility on a daily basis.
“They are breaking new grounds and their voices and actions are loud
with respect to being able to make reasonable changes and also ensure progress in their
communities,” she stated.
Quoting a Ghanaian scholar, Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey, she said: “If you educate a man, you educate an
individual. But if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.” Which according to her
implies that; ’empowering a woman economically and through education,
often create rippling effects that positively affect communities in bigger and
more endearing ways.’
On the abuse of the girl child, Chief Ali said: “Unfortunately, our society takes a lot of things for granted and so attribute what would ordinarily be
a crime of rape to been the fault of the victim. Rape is rape and doesn’t require any contributions from the victim.
“A man having the intention to rape can do so to a two year
old child or even an eighty year old woman.”
She agreed that more efforts be placed on sensitization with respect to
dressing to cover up body parts that can trigger a man to lose his reasoning temporarily.
The female party candidate called on parents to do more in giving their girl child training on the basic things they need to know, taking into consideration the age.
On which that bites most between abuse and discrimination, the political juggernaut said; “The girl child is daily surmounting the incidents of discrimination. Anyone whether man and woman
cannot be relegated when you are the best.
“The facts cannot be taken away though that some positions in our Nigerian society are exclusive for the men but you will agree with me the women are
keeping up at their struggle and cannot be deterred.
“Abuse is usually more than a painful experience for a woman or girl child and so in my opinion, abuse is more painful.
