By Sade Adewale

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The girl child stands at the intersection of untapped potential and persistent social barriers. Endowed with unique qualities and strength, she is not merely a future woman but a vital agent of transformation in a world grappling with inequality, injustice and diminishing moral values.

Beyond the roles of a daughter, wife or mother, the girl child is the heartbeat of any society. She is a stabilising force, a nurturer and a life-giver carrying within her the promise of continuity and the prospect of sustainable development. Her empowerment is not merely a moral imperative; it is a developmental necessity.

A girl who is educated, healthy and free from discrimination has the capacity to elevate her family, inspire her community and shape a better future for generations yet unborn.

The oft-repeated saying, “When you train a girl, you train a nation” speaks volumes about the transformative role of girls in nation-building. Their empowerment must therefore be seen not as a favour but as an inalienable right.

Yet for many girls, particularly in Nigeria, this right remains elusive.

Mr Ademola Ademodi, in an interview with Weekend Hope, described the landscape confronting the girl child in Nigeria as one fraught with socio-cultural and economic hurdles. From early or forced marriages to gender-based violence and entrenched discriminatory traditions such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the girl child is often caught in a web of systemic oppression.

Ademodi pointed to a range of factors including poverty, harmful cultural norms and the persistent favouring of male education, as core contributors to the limited access girls have to education. This structural imbalance, he noted, perpetuates a cycle of inequality in which girls are routinely denied the opportunities afforded to their male counterparts. He also highlighted the grim reality of daily physical and sexual abuse, public harassment and domestic violence which further strip many girls of their dignity and security.

Adding her voice, Mrs Juliet Tedheke painted a sobering picture of deprivation and survival tactics among young girls. In families where even the most basic needs go unmet she said some girls are compelled to exchange their bodies for money to afford essentials. Those who engage in petty trading or street hawking she added are often preyed upon by predators who view them as objects for exploitation.

Tedheke delved into the psychological toll of peer pressure and societal expectations, particularly in communal settings where girls feel an unrelenting need to conform to the lifestyle and possessions of their peers. This materialistic chase she argued, breeds a sense of discontentment and can push girls towards harmful behaviours. Some she said, begin to resent their parents, measuring their self-worth against idealised versions of others’ lives.

Social media, she warned, plays a disturbing role in this distortion of identity and reality. Describing it as a “fake world”, Tedheke lamented the prevalence of indecent online challenges and the glorification of digitally altered or surgically enhanced images. For impressionable girls, the consequence is often a dangerous spiral into insecurity, anxiety, depression and in severe cases suicidal ideation. “The internet,” she observed “never forgets.”

She further raised concerns about systemic misogyny in Nigerian society where women are underrepresented in positions of power. “How many female governors, legislators or local government leaders do we have?” she asked. Even within academia she noted female students are not spared, with many facing sexual coercion from male lecturers who abuse their positions of authority.

In certain regions, the practice of early marriage persists, often driven by the economic desperation of families. In such situations, the girl child becomes a transactional tool married off without consent to provide short-term financial relief. These forced marriages, according to Tedheke, can inflict long-lasting psychological trauma, breed resentment and in extreme cases lead to violence or even murder, incidents that are no longer rare in contemporary Nigeria.

Speaking further, Mr George Olatawura highlighted that the challenges confronting the girl child extend beyond the individual and are embedded within broader cultural and structural frameworks. These include limited access to education, gender-based violence, early marriage and economic disenfranchisement. The barriers are systemic, often reflecting deep-rooted societal expectations and power imbalances.

Olatawura stressed that financial and logistical impediments such as unaffordable school fees, lack of uniforms and inadequate transportation routinely block girls from accessing education. Early marriage in particular, is a significant disruptor often bringing an abrupt end to a girl’s educational journey. In some communities it is seen as a way to attain economic stability or escape difficult living conditions.

Tragically, he added, these marriages are frequently arranged without the girl’s consent, undermining her autonomy and posing grave risks to her health, education and emotional well-being.

Mr Anthony Omowole also contributed to the discourse, tracing many of the girl child’s challenges to poverty, ignorance, peer pressure and inadequate parental involvement. The vulnerability of girls he argued often correlates with the beliefs, exposure and educational background of their parents.

He spoke particularly against the practice of female genital mutilation, which continues in some parts of the country. According to Omowole, the procedure is often conducted during infancy with no regard for the child’s consent. This reflects a disturbing societal view that the girl child lacks bodily autonomy from the outset of her life.

The stories told by these individuals are more than anecdotes. They point to a pressing need for targeted intervention by policymakers, community leaders and civil society. Safeguarding the rights of the girl child is not merely about inclusion. It is about justice, equality and the recognition of her humanity and agency.

Until structural inequalities are addressed and cultural perceptions reshaped, the full potential of the girl child may remain stifled. But when she is empowered through education, protection and opportunity the ripple effects are profound, touching not just her life but the future of the society she serves.