Pan Africa Conference on the Education of Girls with its Ouagadougou Declaration 1993. Conference of organization of Africa Unity (OAU Ministers of Culture and Education and Development, the pan African Conference on Youth Development, 1995 etc.
The conferences identified education of women and girls as key factor necessary for socio-economic and political empowerment. The Declaration, Resolutions and Plans of Action adopted in these conferences are aimed at the removal of disparities in access to basic education by giving priority to the Girl-Child.
Advancement of women which recognizes that education is the basic tool that should be given the Girl-Child/ women in order to fulfill their roles as full members of society, the government produced Blue print on Women Education in 1987.
Centre’s were established and equipped in the State and the FCT.
The centers provide training for women and girls in traditional skill and income generation activities. Basic literacy classes were also provided for both illiterates and those women and girls who
dropped out of the formal schools system. Free and Compulsory Primary Education for girls were adopted in many parts of Nigeria especially in the Northern States like Bauchi, Kano, Niger, Sokoto,
Adamawa Yobe and Jigawa, Laws were enacted, preventing the withdrawal of girls from school. Federal Government Girls Colleges have been established in all the State of the Federation including FCT to promote education of Girl-Child.
The conferences identified education of women and girls as key factor necessary for socio-economic and political empowerment. The Declaration, Resolutions and Plans of Action adopted in these conferences are aimed at the removal of disparities in access to basic education by giving priority to the Girl-Child.
Government Intervention on Female/Girl-Child Education
In Nigeria, successive governments have demonstrated commitment to issues and concerns of female and Girl-Child education. Nigeria is actively involved in both the ratification and implementation of various international conventions and resolutions and has set in motion mechanisms for redressing the education imbalance between boys and girls. Consequently, to achieve the goals of Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for theAdvancement of women which recognizes that education is the basic tool that should be given the Girl-Child/ women in order to fulfill their roles as full members of society, the government produced Blue print on Women Education in 1987.
The objectives of the Blue print include:
- Providing more educational opportunity for girls from Primary to Tertiary Levels.
- Re-orientating the attitude of all females irrespective of age towards education and promoting the education of girls and women in the fields of Science, Technology and Mathematics (SYM).
Centre’s were established and equipped in the State and the FCT.
The centers provide training for women and girls in traditional skill and income generation activities. Basic literacy classes were also provided for both illiterates and those women and girls who
dropped out of the formal schools system. Free and Compulsory Primary Education for girls were adopted in many parts of Nigeria especially in the Northern States like Bauchi, Kano, Niger, Sokoto,
Adamawa Yobe and Jigawa, Laws were enacted, preventing the withdrawal of girls from school. Federal Government Girls Colleges have been established in all the State of the Federation including FCT to promote education of Girl-Child.
The Girl-Child Education Clubs have also been launched in school to raise awareness about the Girl-Child and early marriage, sexual harassment and Harmful Traditional Practices.
One of the programme’s areas of emphasis is educated. Thus in realization of the fact that education is the starting point for women advancement in different field of human Endeavour, the programme focuses on Women Education as a means of empowering women, thereby improving their living standard. The strategies adopted include:
Mobilization of rural women to take advantage of adult literacy programme, establishment of various integrated functional literacy programmes and campaigns to dispel beliefs that women do not
need education. Seminars/workshops were therefore organized to train women in various income generating skills and in providing political education. Training programmes were also conducted for the acquisition of aesthetic skill in the production of arts and crafts.
In accordance with paragraph 25 of 1985 Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, Government by Decree 30 of 1988, which was later, replaced by Decree 42 of 1992,
established National Commission for Women. The decree also provided for the establishment of the State Commissions for Women and Women Development Units at Local Government Areas to facilitate grass root participation in all programmes.
A National, zonal and State Task Force on the education of the Girl- Child was inaugurated as a follow up action on the recommendations and resolutions reached at the pan-Africa Conference on the Education on the Girl-Child held in Burkina Faso in 11993.
The task force was to ensure that tradition norms and administrative practice that militate against the Girl-Child and her education are discouraged.
The National Child Rights Implementation Committee was also inaugurated. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child he Organization of African Unity Charter and the Declaration
of the World Summit for Children. The Committee develops and recommends to government specific programmes and projects that will enhance the child. The implementation of the Right of the Child
will go a long way reducing gender in the area of education.
The focus of the Family Support Programme, Which was also founded in 1994, has been on promoting policies and programmes that strengthen the observance and protection of human rights and the advancement of social justice and human dignity. The programmer’s action areas include education. Some of its implantation strategies are:
The Better Life Programme Founded in 1987 was aimed at:
- Educating rural women hygiene, family planning, the importance of child care and increase literacy rate
- Inculcation the spirit of self-development, particularly, in the field of education, business, arts and crafts and agriculture.
One of the programme’s areas of emphasis is educated. Thus in realization of the fact that education is the starting point for women advancement in different field of human Endeavour, the programme focuses on Women Education as a means of empowering women, thereby improving their living standard. The strategies adopted include:
Mobilization of rural women to take advantage of adult literacy programme, establishment of various integrated functional literacy programmes and campaigns to dispel beliefs that women do not
need education. Seminars/workshops were therefore organized to train women in various income generating skills and in providing political education. Training programmes were also conducted for the acquisition of aesthetic skill in the production of arts and crafts.
In accordance with paragraph 25 of 1985 Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, Government by Decree 30 of 1988, which was later, replaced by Decree 42 of 1992,
established National Commission for Women. The decree also provided for the establishment of the State Commissions for Women and Women Development Units at Local Government Areas to facilitate grass root participation in all programmes.
The functions of Commissions include:
- Development of the child within the context of International Conventio0n on the Rights of the Child and the National Policy on the Rights of the child.
- Promotion of the full Utilization of Women in the development of women resources.
- Liaising with relevant establishments/educational institutions on matter affecting women education.
- Working towards total elimination of all practices tending to discriminate against and de-humanize womanhood.
- The Commission thus embarked on political education for women, promoting skills for the improvement of arts, crafts, food processing and other vocational training relevant to women’s needs.
A National, zonal and State Task Force on the education of the Girl- Child was inaugurated as a follow up action on the recommendations and resolutions reached at the pan-Africa Conference on the Education on the Girl-Child held in Burkina Faso in 11993.
The task force was to ensure that tradition norms and administrative practice that militate against the Girl-Child and her education are discouraged.
The National Child Rights Implementation Committee was also inaugurated. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child he Organization of African Unity Charter and the Declaration
of the World Summit for Children. The Committee develops and recommends to government specific programmes and projects that will enhance the child. The implementation of the Right of the Child
will go a long way reducing gender in the area of education.
The focus of the Family Support Programme, Which was also founded in 1994, has been on promoting policies and programmes that strengthen the observance and protection of human rights and the advancement of social justice and human dignity. The programmer’s action areas include education. Some of its implantation strategies are:
Promotion of vocational training programmes targeted especially at the disadvantaged women and girls, as well as intensifying literacy programme for adults and school dropout.
The establishment of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Youth Development is a demonstration of Nigerian’s assent to the international treaties and conventions relating to women and children. It further demonstrates the government’s resolve to implement these international Resolutions and World Plan of Action at the highest level of government.
The ministry in collaboration with UMICRF has also organized a policy dialogue on the Girl-Child. The dialogue was “aimed at creating awareness on the Girl-Child issues at the policy level of government and also encouraging key government functionaries to saliently operate the modalities of the National Policy on education with particular reference to the Girl-Child and related Policies in the context of Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).”
The establishment of Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Youth Development is a demonstration of Nigerian’s assent to the international treaties and conventions relating to women and children. It further demonstrates the government’s resolve to implement these international Resolutions and World Plan of Action at the highest level of government.
The ministries functions include among other:
- Ensuring increase in women’s literacy level.
- Providing facilities for adult education for women.
- Liaising with appropriate bodies in providing policies and including training and employment.
- Promoting, skills acquisition for the improvement of arts, food processing and other vocational training within the context of the needs and potentials of women.
- Promoting and protecting the right of the Girls-Child.
The ministry in collaboration with UMICRF has also organized a policy dialogue on the Girl-Child. The dialogue was “aimed at creating awareness on the Girl-Child issues at the policy level of government and also encouraging key government functionaries to saliently operate the modalities of the National Policy on education with particular reference to the Girl-Child and related Policies in the context of Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).”
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