The Coordinator, Office of the Akwa Ibom First Lady, Lady Helen Eno Obareki, has assured every Girl Child in the state, of commitment from Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), the pet-project of the First Lady, and the state government in dismantling all cultural barriers inhibiting the attainment of her full potential.
The Coordinator gave the assurance on Monday, on the occasion to mark this year’s International Day of The Girl Child in Uyo.
Speaking on the theme for this year, “The Girl I Am; The Change I Lead: Girls on the Front lines of Crisis”, Lady Obareki said it resonated a consciousness that challenged an old narrative where the Girl Child was always vulnerable, but insisted that the Girl Child of today had been well positioned as a change agent, capable of navigating challenges of life.
Particularly for the Girl Child in Akwa Ibom, the GIFA Coordinator observed a remarkable shift where every Girl Child no longer lay in wait of a better world, but would build one for herself and make progress in spheres, including entrepreneurship and innovation.
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She however acknowledged that although the Girl Child often faces challenges of how to overcome barriers of financial inclusion, limited access to health information, Gender-Based Violence, as well as cultural practices, Lady Obareki insisted that with adequate tools and opportunities which GIFA and the state government had been providing, these barriers would eventually be surmounted.
The Coordinator noted that through The ARISE Agenda of Governor Umo Eno, and the commitment of the Office of the First Lady, there had been a lot of actions aimed at dismantling the barriers confronting the Girl Child, assuring that GIFA would continue to work to ensure that the goals for the Girl Child empowerment were translated into impact.
” Under the visionary ARISE Agenda of our Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, and through the commitment of the Office of the First Lady, we are dedicated to dismantling these barriers. Our pet-project, the Golden Initiative for All (GIFA), which I am privileged to chair, has been strategically designed to ensure that the global goals for the Girl Child empowment are translated into tangible local impact.
” Through GIFA, we are making targeted investments in enhancing leadership and learning, with focus on mentorship and equipping our girls, not just with knowledge, but with the confidence and character needed for future leadership roles”.
Lady Obareki, who revealed GIFA’s plans to transform the economic landscape for the adolescent girls, by engaging them with skills to strengthen their financial foundations, assured that the First Lady’s pet-project would continue to create safe environment where every Girl Child would feel secure.
While charging every Girl Child to embrace her strength and voice, The Coordinator reminded her of her inherent power to realize her full potential, insisting that the world was waiting to see the manifestation.
She also called on parents, teachers and guardians to place great value on the education of their Girl Child, while also securing her emotional and physical well-being.
Earlier in her speech, the Deputy Governor, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, reminded every Girl Child of the Akwa Ibom State Child Right Law which empowers her to acquire education without being denied such opportunities, or exploited on the basis of gender.
She therefore, charged every Girl Child in the state to leverage on this law and embrace its latitude to surmount all challenges that might have been set by unfair cultural practices.
The guest speaker, Mrs. Ifiokobong Anthony Akan, who centred her presentation on determination, identify, leadership and resilience, lifting others, purposefulness, among others, as principles that must be imbibed by every Girl Child to succeed, said anything less would defeat one’s dream of becoming great.
She also reminded the Girl Child that she has equal opportunity as The Boy Child, declaring that for this, there was no reason for any Girl Child to accept to be small or be limited by her gender.
Mrs. Akan therefore, charged her to rise to success and learn to applaud herself when no one would want to do so for her.
The commemoration also featured goodwill messages, drama presentation by students, spelling session, among others.
This year’s International Day of The Girl Child had in attendance, dignitaries, including Commissioner, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Mrs. Inibehe Silas Etukudo; Commissioner, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Hon. Emem Ibanga; wife of the SSG, Mrs. Inemesit Uwah; Hon. Ekaette Ebong; Mrs. Comfort Effiong Bob; some local government chairmen, among others.
The International Day of The Girl Child is celebrated October 11 every year.
