By Mohammed Aminu in Sokoto
A group, High Level Women Advocates( HILWA),has advocated for increased economic investment in adolescent girls as a means of tackling poverty, discrimination and violence in the country.
The Chairperson of the group and the state Commissioner of Women Affairs, Hajiya Kulu Sifawa, made the remark on Sunday at a news briefing to round up the activities to commemorate the 2016 International Day of the Girl-child.
Sifawa, who spoke through her predecessor, Hajiya Kulu Nuhu, said such investments were necessary to achieving equitable and sustainable development outcomes.
“Such investments in the power of adolescent girls are fundamental to breaking the intergenerational transmission of poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination,’’she said. She stressed that, the 2016 theme would help stimulate worldwide enthusiasm for goals to enhance the lives of the girls.
According to her, this will also help in providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potentials. Sifawa posited that the aim of the celebration was to build consensus on the need to invest in the girls.
She emphasised that the girls should also be empowered to lead the campaign for themselves and by themselves.
“This bold move is to create self-confidence in the women and generate mass movement of girls for girls in Nigeria.
‘’I strongly believe this is a way of closing the gender gaps in education in Nigeria,”Sifawa added.
