The National Coalition of Civil Society to End Child Marriage in Nigeria, Kwara Chapter, has called for an end to child marriage and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) against women.
Oyedeji Olufemi, the State Focal Person of the association, made the call in a statement issued on Saturday in Ilorin, Kwara, to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) with the theme “Accelerate Action.”
According to Olufemi, the UNICEF 2020 report indicated that 43 percent of girls are married before the age of 18, with 17 percent married before age 15.
“One in five women experiences physical violence, and one in 10 experiences sexual violence.
60 percent of out-of-school children are girls, with 10.5 million children out of school nationwide,” he said.
Olufemi observed that the 2025 commemoration served as a reminder that the rights of women were sacrosanct and must be respected, protected, guaranteed, and fulfilled by the state.
“This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, China, in 1995.
The declaration sets out a comprehensive framework for achieving gender equality and empowering women, emphasising the importance of women’s rights as human rights,” he said.
The foundation’s focal person called on the government to accelerate action toward achieving gender equality and empowering all girls across sectors by 2030.
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“Nigerian women deserve respect, not because they are women, but because they are human beings with inherent rights.
The government should increase funding for education and healthcare programs that benefit girls and women.
There is a need to strengthen laws and policies to prevent child marriage, violence against women, and other forms of discrimination,” he said.
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