By Okonkwo Chinelo | Program manager
60% of out of school children in Nigeria are girls. Many of them who do enroll, drop out early. Low perceptions of the value of education for girls and early marriages are among the reasons (UNICEF report on Education statistic in Nigeria). Some northern states have laws that prohibit the withdrawal of girls from school. Kaduna state, in particular, has made education free for girls at the primary and secondary level
It was of the essence to rouse the consciousness of all stakeholders including potential targets (young women and girls) and duty bearers ( government authorities especially the ministry of education) to ensure full support and participation in building the agency of young women and girls in the communities. EVA selected 15 community influencers from the 3 communities where we work. The selection was based on their commitment towards ending violence against women and girls. EVA organized capacity building for the influencers on sexual and gender-based violence, the laws that promote and protect the rights of adolescent girls and young women including the right to education, the importance of girl child education, harmful traditional practices especially early marriage and its consequences. The trained influencers were supported to do community level outreaches in different areas of the community, targeting different groups. This is to ensure that every member of the community understands the importance of supporting and encouraging girl child education as well as the provisions that have been made in the law to support every girl to get a basic education.
The trained influencers which include religious leaders, traditional leaders, women leaders, health workers, teachers, etc held different outreaches in different places targeting a different audience, examples were mosques, schools, village square, women meetings, meetings with young men and boys, etc. Through the outreaches, we have been able to reach about 1200 men, 144 young men and boys, and 157 girls and women.
EVA recently conducted an impact assessment meeting with our community safe space facilitators who testified that the young girls in the communities are more willing to be in school. With continuous support from donors, we hope to reduce the rate of early marriage in those communities as we help and support the adolescent girls and young women to go to school and remain in school
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