IGRHD Charges Teachers, School Counselors On End To FGM, Child Marriage, Others

A non governmental organization, Initiative For Girls’ Right And Health Development (IGRHD) has enjoined teachers, school counselors and Proprietors on the need to work strategically as partners to ensure an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Child Marriage, teenage pregnancies and all forms of harmful practices by 2030.

IGRHD made the appeal during a one day worship organized to sensitize the stakeholders and the need to join hand together to end harmful practices and to ensure adolescence for the girl child.

CityMirrorNews workshop was attended by representatives of both private and public secondary schools within Osun State.

The workshop according to a statement was organised by IGRHD with support from Wallace Global Fund and it was held in anticipation of September 2023 national school resumption.

Speaking, Director and Founder of IGRHD and Executive and co founder Frontline EndingFGM movement, Mrs Ayodeji Bello- Awodoyin recalled talked extensively on the projects IGRHD had carried out in the past years to advance the rights of the girl child particularly the SheMustKnow Project which she said is designed to equip girls of reproductive ages in secondary schools with the right knowledge to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

According to her “The SheMustKnow Project entails a curriculum that covers Menstrual hygiene, Bodily anatomy, reproductive health, myths and implications of harmful practices.

Ayodeji revealed the plans of IGRHD to intensify efforts in the coming session not only with the sensitization projects but trainings for school representatives, scholarship opportunities for students, case management, trainings during Parents Teachers Association meetings and the annual arts competition against SGBV to commemorate 16 Days of Activism.

Speaking, a representative of the schools, Mrs Ajayi of Iseoluwa Model College lamented the implications of eradication of school counsellors in public schools and how it has contributed to the increased prevalence of sexual harassments with zero chanel for complaints in school premises. When female students are at the verge of experiencing FGM or any form of abuse, they have no one within the school system to confide in

Mrs Ajayi identified dizziness and low concentration in classroom and extra curricular activities, late coming, being withdrawn, being unnecessarily rude and poor among others as ways to recognize if a female student is struggling emotionally which she said might have been affecting her academic performance.

Mrs Adefioye of Achievers Citadel college said she has taken up the role of a counsellor voluntarily in the school going beyond her role as a teacher to meet the emotional needs of the students and respond to cases of sexual and gender based violence among students.

Mr Akintayo from Ife Girl’s High School also mentioned that the family is the first agent of socialization and some parents aren’t helping matters as they encourage bad behaviour and expose their children to violence from a tender age.

Meanwhile Mr Adebowale laid emphasizes on the need to make the VAPP Act effective and known to all.

Also speaking, Prince Adedeji Abdulazeez Oluwatoyin , representative of Ministry of Education, Local Inspector of Education Ife East, assured IGRHD support to the efforts of the organisation with positive feedback to the ministry and mobilization for future events.

Mrs Rachel Talabi, Director of the Author schools pleaded for inclusion of primary schools in the interventions and projects of IGRHD moving forward.

Mrs Awokoya of Christ Redeemers Secondary Schools who isn’t only a teacher but a counsellor mentioned that asides being a missionary school, they have a legal department in the school
which handle cases of gender based violence and she pleads with IGRHD to extend reach to more students and schools in hard to reach communities.

More than 20 schools represented asked for continuous training as it helped them unburden.

Mr Temitayo Awodoyin, Technical Consultant and Director of operations at IGRHD in his closing remarks assured the school representatives of consistent communication and engagements
from IGRHD.

He asked for the spirit of cooperation as stakeholders in ensuring girls experience safe adolescence with assurance that “together, we will put an end to harmful practices affecting the girl child”.

Tomisin Amusa, Lead volunteer for school engagements, Adetutu Adewunmi, Community Engagement and Procurement Officer, Fikunayomi, Yusuf Bello, Emekeme Oton, Writer Victoria
Odeyemi, Photographer, Esther Adeniyi, Social media manager, Omoyosola Adekoya Vice President of the Obafemi Awolowo University student Union, staff and volunteers of IGRHD all
expressed their delight in the meeting and pledged continuous participation as youth leaderswith IGRHD. We say big thanks to Wallace Global Fund and the Global campaign to End FGM – GMC.