Girls In Nigeria Are Not Protected By the Law – It’s Time For Change, By Adaeze C. Oreh - Premium Times Opinion

  • 📰 PremiumTimesng
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 47 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Qulity Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 78%

Opinion: Girls In Nigeria Are Not Protected By the Law – It’s Time For Change, By Adaeze C. Oreh

Nigeria Headlines News

Nigeria Latest News, Nigeria Headlines

The contradictions and loopholes in our laws and customs around consent, marriage and child rights are making life miserable and dangerous for too many of our girls. In my view, nothing will change without purposeful and determined leadership – which would start from updating our legislation in line with current knowledge about what is healthy and safe for the girl-child…

In my work as a doctor, I often see evidence of the damage done to girls by early marriage, early pregnancy and sexual abuse. That harm is both physical and mental, and it leaves lasting scars, yet too many families refuse to talk about or acknowledge these realities. Eventually, her mother came and gave consent for the procedure to correct the fistula, which was provided at no cost. I was struck by the rather stark irony that this young girl was deemed old enough by her community to be a mother and wife, but not old enough to consent to life-saving treatment for injuries she sustained in childbirth.

To delve into the subject, we may well give some thought to basic rights. Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which defines a child as. Nigeria has also ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which categorically states in Article 21 that,

We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 3. in NG
 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Premium Times Daily data-react-helmet=trueBreaking news, Investigations, Multimedia, Analysis, Opinion, Business, Sports & more... by Premium Times data-react-helmet=true
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »

Premium Times Daily data-react-helmet=trueBreaking news, Investigations, Multimedia, Analysis, Opinion, Business, Sports & more... by Premium Times data-react-helmet=true
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »

Not Every Government Policy Is Bad, By 'Tope Fasua - Premium Times OpinionOpinion: Not Every Government Policy Is Bad, By ‘Tope Fasua
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »

Nigeria: More of the Centrifugal Than The Centripetal, By Banji Ojewale - Premium Times OpinionOpinion: Nigeria: More of the Centrifugal Than The Centripetal, By Banji Ojewale
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »

IBB@78: Niger governor, predecessor celebrate 'legend of our time' - Premium Times NigeriaGovernor Abubakar Bello of Niger has congratulated former head of state, Ibrahim Babangida, on his 78th birthday.
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »

Meningitis: Over 26 million children at risk in Nigeria – Agency - Premium Times NigeriaMeningitis: Over 26 million children at risk in Nigeria – Agency
Source: PremiumTimesng - 🏆 3. / 78 Read more »