The African Union (AU) has called on top politicians and party candidates to make personal commitments to end early child marriages and stand against other harmful practices against women and girls especially as they campaign across the country.
The AU Commission Special Rapporteur on Ending child marriage and other harmful practices, Ms Hermaine Kembo, made the call Wednesday in Abuja during a monitoring and evaluation visit to the Federal ministry of women affair.
Ms kembo commended the commitment from government at all levels to address child marriage and other forms of gender-based violence as well as the progressive domestication of the Child rights and VAPP Acts across states.
“We could note from the launch of the campaign in Nigeria since 2014 till now the progressive domestication of the child rights act and the VAPP act where we have seen to know that much progress has been achieved and that it is just remaining few states to domesticate which we urged and plead with them that those process be completed as soon as possible for the benefit of children of Nigeria,” she said.
She however, urged the country to move beyond treating the issues of early child marriage as an advocacy issues to a human right violation, adding that it was fundamental to ensure swift justice for victims and punishment of offenders.
“Shifting from sensitisation to take the issue as a human right violation which deserves prosecuting the offender. We need to shift from the community acceptance of this oath and normalise the oath for our children, depriving them of the possibilities of building their own self and the possibility of later contributing to the development of the country.
“If we do not have girls that are well-equipped, well-trained competent enough to participate to the development of this country, I think it is and assert that we are losing,” she stressed.
According to her, the African union would keep monitoring and give guidance to states on how to fulfil their obligation towards ending child marriage and other harmful practices against the girl child.
“We came to monitor to see how far the Nigerian government has gone on this issue and what we are offering to them is our advice on the background of the AU commission joint general comment on child marriage, the general comment on female genital mutilation and also the overall policy of the AU campaign on ending child marriage as well as the accountability frame work that guides member states,” she added.
Responding, the minister of women affairs Dame Pauline Tallen outlined the achievement of the ministry in addressing issues affecting the girl child despite some push back heralded by the Covid 19 pandemic.
“The creation of a Girl-Child Division in the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs which is expected to provide a stronger platform to coordinate the implementation of programmes regarding the issues and concerns of girls in all sectors in Nigeria and Aggressive Sensitization campaigns to promote girl child enrolment, retention and completion of basic education; alongside advocacy visits and dialogues with Traditional Rulers and Religious Leaders,”. She said .
The minister further assured the delegation that The Government of Nigeria was committed to working with other Countries through implementation of various policies, and programmes aimed at enhancing the development and status of girls.
The event also feature presentation for representatives of the ministries of health and education on the status of their policies in developing the girl child, ending child marriage and other harmful practices.
