Released  date: October 11^th ,2017

As the world commemorates the international Day of the girl child with the theme “Empower Girls”, the Nigerian Coalition for the International Criminal Court joins the rest of the world to recognize this special day.  The NCICC continues to contribute to the development of the Nigerian woman and indeed the girl child by advocating for access to justice for all, an end to sexual and gender based violence and all contemporary forms of slavery in Nigeria.

 

Sexual violence and contemporary forms of slavery which includes; early marriage and child marriages are perhaps the most disturbing of girls’ rights violation in the country. The NCICC urges the Nigerian government to make maximum efforts in ensuring access to justice for girls in the society. Every child, and particularly girls, have the right to freedom from all forms of violence. It is an international legal obligation, enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the world’s most widely ratified human rights treaty.

 

In compliance with article 7 of the Rome statute, the NCICC, whose major priority is to advocate for the domestication of the Rome statute in Nigeria, has embarked on several sensitization projects to promote gender equality and put an end to early marriage, child marriage and all other forms of contemporary slavery prevalent in Nigeria most especially the North eastern part of Nigeria.

 

The NCICC strongly supports the position of the “Global initiative” to end violence against Children and build a better future for all. We call on the government to tear down the barriers that continue to hold girls back and to fully harness innovations, set economic empowerment programmes to reach poor and marginalized girls and ensure education for young girls and boys reach every part of the country. We advocate strongly for improved quality of education for all. On this day we also remember the Chibok school girls who are still in captivity, expressing solidarity with their families and strongly appealing to the Nigerian government not to relent in its efforts to rescue them even as we hope to build a better future for our girls and children in the diaspora.

 

The NCICC therefore urges the government to use the values of the United Nations to form a space where all children can safely thrive and develop to their full potential.

 

 

Chinonye Obiagwu

Chair, steering Committee