October 15, 2021
BY PROBLYN J. ALPHA
The Koidu New Sembehun City Council Social Welfare Committee Chairperson Councillor Mariama Seray Turay Allieu has expressed total dissatisfaction over the dress code of girls in the municipality of Koidu.
She registered her dissatisfaction during the celebration of this year’s International day of girl child held at the Fachima Complex in Koidu City on the theme” Digital Generation, Our Generation”.
Councillor Mariama Seray Allieu further explained that, girls in the district are not ready to support the government to succeed in the fight against teenage pregnancy, because majority of the girls do call on the attention of men to chase them which has clearly explain beyond all reasonable doubt that the fight against teenage pregnancy in the district is fruitless.
She however encouraged girls to maintain standards and focus on their education which will guarantee them of a brighter future.
Richard A. Moiba director of CIFORD-SL noted as development partners in collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone they see the celebration of the International day of Girls child as a responsibility to protect the rights of children especially Girls in order to make sure of their potentials to be useful women in nation building.
According to him, one of their Major responsibilities as development and infrastructural development, but they want to put more premiums on human capital development which is very paramount.
“The government of Sierra Leone is making frantic efforts for thirty percent of women representation in politics but the girls have corresponding responsibilities to attain that position when they shall have grown up to be women” he stressed.
In giving brief history of what brought about the celebration of the International girls day, the Ministry of Gender and Children Affairs Kono District representative Joseph Kai intimated that the celebration of the aforementioned day started on the 19th December, 2011 after the United Nations general assembly met and passed a resolution to ensure that they adopt a policy and to as well make into consideration the plight of girls thereby setting aside a day on which they will celebrate the successes and challenges girls are faced with across the globe.
He added that the celebration started in 2012 after the agreement in 2011 of which Sierra Leone joined the world over to celebrate the International Girl child day to amplify their voice and empower them to see how best they will surmount the challenges they are faced with.
Highlighting some of their success stories , Joseph Kai explained that from the establishment of the day to date perpetrators of violence especially sexual related Violence against girls have being convicted and put behind bars of which some have died behind bars as a result of sexual violence against girls.
He added that and a lot of parents now allow and encourage their girls to go to school as compared to the time the day was not in existence.
” Through the awareness raised around the globe on this day many parents now see the importance of educating the girl child” Joseph Kai concluded.