The Special Screening of "He Named Me Malala" attracted hundreds of secondary school students Sunday afternoon at the Silverbird Cinemas in the Silverbird Galleria on Victoria Island, Lagos.
The largest cinema hall was not large enough for all the secondary school students of more than 350 girls and 7 boys who came to Stand #withMalala!
The event celebrated the 2015 United Nations' International Day of the Girl Child in Nigeria.
Lagos State Model Senior College came all the way from Agbowa on the outskirts of Lagos to the venue on Victoria Island and also Epe Senior Grammar School from Epe. Wuraville College came from Shomolu, Girls Junior Secondary School, Obalende, Lagos, Aunty Ayo International School, Keffi, Ikoyi, Lagos, Girls Academy Senior Secondary School, Sandgrouse, Lafiaji, Lagos and other secondary schools.
The full speech of Miss Franca Aide.
11TH, OCTOBER, 2015.Galaxy TV and NTA, the largest TV Network in Africa were there. Fox Searchlight, Crimson Media and Blue Pictures Film Distribution Limited sponsored the venue and also the popcorn and Coca Cola for all the secondary school students.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD
SPEECH PRESENTED BY FRANCA AIDE.
GIRL RISING AMBASSADOR FOR CALABAR & NATIONAL COORDINATOR GIRLS UNITED TOGETHER FOR SUCCESS (GUTS)
THEME: THE POWER OF ADOLESCENT GIRL VISION FOR 2030
Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary General’s message for international day of the girl child 2015 reads:
The newly adopted sustainable development goals rightly include key targets for greater equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They offer an opportunity for a global commitment to breaking inter-generational transmission of poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination-and realizing our vision of a life of dignity for all.
The girl child like their male counterparts have the rights to education and skill acquisition, the right to career choice and self actualization. Girl child education becomes pertinent for attainment of national development. In the past, education has not necessarily been a priority for the girl child because of cultural beliefs, poverty and so on. It is believed that the place of the girl child is in her husband’s house, the male was considered to be superior than the girl child in many aspects especially education and that is why in most cases only the male child have access to education. Unfortunately, many people still hold unto this disparity between the female and the male gender.
Since 2012, the United Nations mark 11th October as the International Day of the girl child, the day promotes girls’ human rights, highlights gender equality that remain between girls and boys and addresses the various forms of discrimination and abuse suffered by girls around the world.
UNICEF reported that 67% of the over 10million Nigerian children out of school are girls from poor families who cannot afford to send them to school and majority of them end up as hawkers, prostitutes and victims of sexual harassments on the street, house maids used for child labour. The United Nations Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo opines that, “empowering girls today makes for a prosperous tomorrow”, which reminds me of what Napoleon said “Give me good mothers and I will give you a great Nation”, bringing to bare the essence of educating the girl child that will be a mother tomorrow.
Charles Fourier once said, “One could judge the degree of civilization of a country by the social and political position of its women”. Which leaves me wondering how civilized my beloved country, Nigeria is. In line with the United Nations call for the need for education and empowerment of the girl child necessity is laid on us all to fight for this right because every female child deserves to be educated.
Girls United Together For Success (GUTS) stands with Malala Yousafzai and calls for the GUTSY once who believe they have what it takes to be educated even in the face of adversity and tribulations to say:
Yes I Have the “GUTS” for it.
I have what it takes to be educated
Time has passed when the girl child is segregated and relegated to the kitchen, early marriage and chores; an educated girl child makes an educated home. Starting from the adolescent age, girls have the right to a safe educated and healthy life not only during these critical, formative years but also as they mature into women. If effectively supported during the adolescent years, girls have the potential to change the world, both as empowered girls of today and as tomorrow’s workers, mothers, entrepreneurs, mentors, household heads and political leaders. An investment in realizing the power of adolescent girls upholds their rights today and promises a more equitable and prosperous future, one in which half of humanity is an equal partner in solving the problems of climate change, political conflicts, economic growth, disease prevention and global sustainability.
Time has come for a change, a shift in mindset, poverty can no longer be an hindrance, 67% of the over 10million children out of school are girls, it is time for a change. Girls United Together For Success is resolved to be part of the solution to solve the problem of millions of girls deprived of education in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, where no fewer than 6.2million girls out of school are being used for widespread child labour, as hawkers and house maids.
I Stand with Malala, GUTS Stand with Malala to say NO!
NO to this wrong
NO to this deprivation-this defect.
We shall strive till we are heard and child labour is no more and equality is seen in all endeavors for both the male and the female children especially in the education sector.
Train a daughter
Train a sister
Train a niece
Train a Nation
Education for all - Everyone, every girl child deserves to be in school to lead and be led. Education is the stepping stone, train one - train all.
I, FRANCA AIDE Stands with MALALA, Education for all.
Thank you very much.
The event was supported by The Malala Fund, Fox Searchlight, Crimson Media, Blue Pictures Film Distribution Limited, Nigerians Report Online, Girls United Together for Success (GUTS), Silverbird Group/Silverbird Cinemas, Silverbird TV, JSP Communications Limited, P&G, iREP International Documentary Forum, Freedom Park Lagos, Anyiam Osigwe Foundation, Kiddies & Brands Company, Cool FM, Wazobia FM, Nigerian Info, Galaxy TV, NTA and others.
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