Adolescent girls and young women have been sensitized on the need to know their fundamental and girls’ rights in order not to fall victim to any form of abuse, bias or gender-based violence.
The assertion was made by a legal practitioner based in Bauchi, Barr Jane Onwuka, during a one-day outreach organised by a Bauchi-based NGO, Nurture and Empower Her Initiative (NEHI) supported by another NGO, Ganvi Women and Youths Empowerment Initiative for 200 adolescent girls and young women in Bigi community of Bauchi LGA in Bauchi state.
The main activity was the Sensitization on Girls Body Awareness which was a two-phased programme of Training trainers on how to make reusable pads and Sensitization on personal and menstrual Hygiene and Infection prevention/body protection.
There was also Sensitisation on Girls’ rights and Human rights as well as the distribution of reusable pads to the participants.
Talking to the adolescent girls and young women, Jane Onwuka who is the Legal Adviser of NEHI said, “I am very passionate about what NEHI is doing and I love to partner with Florence Uzoanya, that is the reason I am here, to talk to the girls, give them knowledge about their rights as human beings first and then the female gender that they are.”
She explained, “I am here to give information on girls’ rights and human rights generally, to give the girls awareness on what their rights are and what they should do as well as the institutions that are available for them to seek redress in the case they fall victim to any forms of assault.”
According to her, “Before we talk about girls rights, there is what we call human rights which are for everyone irrespective of gender, it covers all, these are rights that as soon as you are born, they are inherent naturally, so, when you take away human rights, you are now talking about girts rights.”
The legal practitioner added that “as a lady, girls growing up are facing challenges of environment, people around you, sexual harassment, trafficking, falling victim of all these things because they said we are weaker sex, women generally fall into these categories.”
“Most times, what we do is partnering with these NGOs, we enlighten girls, telling them, don’t be a fool to some of these vices, some people will come up with different stories to lure you without clear explanation about what actually they want to do with you,” She said.
Jane Onwuka laments that “But, at the end of the day, you have fallen victim of trafficking and forced into prostitution, assaulted and raped. Going through these challenges that you are not supposed to go through because you are not Aware.”
She stressed “That is why I am here today, to give Awareness to the girls, telling them, don’t be naive, the world is so small now, it is a global village, most of us have Mobile phones, you can research these things on your phones, get the information. You need to know boundaries that must not be crossed as a girl and story that must not be believed.”
According to her, “What we are saying will be well explained to them in the best language they understand. At the end of the training, we expect that the girls will be knowledgeable enough to know what to do and what not to do.”
One of the resource persons of the programme, Margaret Umar stressed the importance of educating and sensitizing the girls on how to take care of their menstrual and personal body hygiene for healthy living.
She also said that considering the economic climate of the country, the ideal thing is for the girls and young women to use the reusable pads which can last them for a whole year through diligent and hygienic conduct.
Margaret Umar commended NEHI and Ganvi for coming together to organise the Sensitization and training for the girls and the young women in Bigi community considering the rural nature of the settlement despite being close to Bauchi metropolis.
Naomi Bulus is a 22-year-old HND 1 student of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi who confessed that she was not aware of the reusable sanitary pads until during the training and Sensitization by NEHI.
She added that the programme has afforded her the knowledge of body systems during menstrual flow and how to keep clean during such periods.
