From Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
Female children in Kwara State on Tuesday identified poor parenting, bullying and sexual harassment as some of the child abuse issues prevalent in the state.
The children bared their minds during a programme organised by the state government in collaboration with Olive Community Initiative (OCDI) on curbing child abuse and gender-based violence (GBV) in the state.
One of the girls who participated in the event, Mariam Danmaigoro, from Ilorin East, identified poor parenting as one of the child abuse issues in the state.
She said some parents are found of sending their children on errands at the odd hours in the night.
Morenike Kasim from Asa and Oluwabukola Rajin from Ilorin South identified bullying and sexual assaults as other forms of child abuses prevalent in their localities.
The programme themed “State Of The Nigerian Girl Summit Songs 2022” is aimed at documenting various issues of child abuse in the state.
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Films and videos were shown to the participants on documented cases of gender -based violence and child abuse.
Declaring the programme open, an Assistant Director, Child’s Directorate, Ministry of Women Affairs, Hajia Idiat Alabi- Amuda, urged the participants to feel free to disclose the abuses they had suffered in their respective localities.
She said the programme was orgasised in furtherance of the state government’s efforts at eradicating gender -based violence (GBV) in the state.
The representative of Olive Community Development Initiative, Blessing Akanbi, urged the children to always cry out whenever anybody abuse or attempt to abuse them.
Explaining that any violence against any woman is a violence to all women,she urged the participants to help any woman who suffers abuse by exposing the perpetrator of such act.
