Violence against Girl-child affects her education — NGO

An NGO, Development and Peace Initiative (DPI), on Wednesday, said Gender Based Violence (GBV) against the girl-child has serious barrier to education.

The Project Manager of DPI, Mr Emmanuel Tagwai, said this during an awareness event at Government Secondary School, Mayere, and a community in Makarfi Local Government Area, both in Kaduna State.

He said that the theme of the awareness — “Together We Can End Gender Based Violence in Education” was to make education safe for all.

He explained that “one of the goals of DPI in 2017 is to continue to build awareness and advocate against all forms of gender based violence in education.”

Tagwai added that the objective of the awareness was to ensure that everyone took steps toward ending violence and deprivation on the rights of women, especially adolescent girls.

He said that the project, being implemented by Development and Peace Initiative and Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) was supported by Christian Aid, Nigeria (UK).

He noted that access to education was a right for girl-child, stressing that “all girls should have access to education and be protected.

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“Violence such as child labour, forced marriage and using under-age girls as maids prevent millions of girls from having access to education, which is their fundamental human right.”

He said mental health was another effect of gender based violence with some impact on the girl-child, which could consequently affect girls’ performance in school.

He explained that the World Health Organisation in 2010 noted that abused girls were more likely to suffer depression, anxiety and psycho-traumatic symptoms.

He, however, added that violence against the girl-child would affect her ability to learn or even the willingness​ to take part in school activities.

“Unfair treatment at home or in school can make a child to run away from school or home, which exposes them to danger.”