An NGO, Balm In Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF), has urged media professionals to promote girl-child education in Ekiti.
Its Executive Director, Ms Oluwatumininu Adedeji, made the plea on Saturday at one day Media Roundtable on Girl-Child Education in Ado-Ekiti.
Adedeji said the programme was aimed at engaging media professionals on the need to coordinate strategic communications in addressing poverty, promoting gender equality and
changing cultural beliefs and practices that limit the opportunities available to girl-child.
She said that the group was commissioned as a Consultant by the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Ekiti with the support of the World Bank to undertake a statewide research on the subject.
“BIGIF is honoured to have the opportunity to engage with you at this event. We know that the media controls the society and is capable of changing human behaviours, living style and moral thoughts through positive messaging.
“The socioeconomic factors and cultural norms affecting girl-child education in Nigeria are complex and intertwined.
“To address these factors require a multi-faceted approach that involves addressing poverty, promoting gender equality and changing the cultural beliefs and practices that limit the opportunities available to girls.
“Together, we can make a real difference in the lives of our adolescent girls and ultimately, in the future of our society,” Adedeji said.
Commenting, Mrs Modupe Ajayi, representative of the Project Coordinator of AGILE, said the focus was to ensure the enrolment of adolescent girls in schools in the state.
Ajayi said further that the programme was also aimed at developing life skills that would help them to navigate adulthood.
Highlights of the event were interactive and break-out sessions with the aim of addressing the behavioural problems, among other factors that hinder girl-child education in the state. (NAN)
