A person with a hand on their shoulder, symbolizing the fight against sexual harassment on campuses.
By Aaron Ossai
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has called for drastic measures against child labour, sexual harassment, gender inequality, forced marriage, and other issues negatively affecting female Nigerians.
This is just as the Speaker assured young Nigerians, especially females of legislative interventions that will make life easier, safer and better for them.
Speaker Abbas gave the assurance in Abuja yesterday when he hosted young female Nigerians in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, tagged ‘Girls’ Chat with the Speaker.’
The Office of the Speaker organised the session in partnership with the House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development.
At the ceremony were the wife of the Speaker, Hajia Fatima Abbas-Tajudeen; Chairman, House Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon Kafilat Ogbara; and several senior aides of the Speaker.
While October 11 is designated for the International Day of the Girl Child, the theme for the 2025 edition is, “The girl I am, the change I lead: Girls on the frontlines of crisis.”
The Speaker, who usually specially celebrates the girl child, and dedicates time and resources to gender campaigns, on Thursday, had an interactive session with schoolgirls.
The girls drawn from across the country, mostly teenagers, represented public and private schools at the secondary and tertiary levels.
The girl children, who came tops in an online poll earlier conducted by the Office of the Speaker and an advocacy group, Gender Mobile Initiative, asked Speaker Abbas sundry questions concerning issues affecting young and female Nigerians.
While noting that child marriage is on a downward trend due to public enlightenment and advocacy, the Speaker stated that cases of child labour are still on the rise.
He said: “My major concern is girl and child labour which is still endemic in this country. A lot of girls, instead of going to school, are being sent to work in the house of the rich and those who are doing well. This is an area where the National Assembly – the government – must pay extra attention.”
“We need to ensure that no girl under a certain age is allowed to be seen working as domestic staff in the houses of the well-to-do families. Those children, by implication, are being denied access to education. Not many of those families that are engaging them are allowing them to school at the same time”, he added.
Earlier, the Executive Lead, Gender Mobile Initiative, Omowumi Ogunrotimi, noted that the 10 girls “represent girls across Nigeria.” She added that there are “millions of girls who are not able to be in this room today and we hope that their questions will represent both the struggles and the aspirations of the millions of girls.”
After, Sophia Ofure Onojetah asked about gender equality in politics and governance, especially women’s representation in parliament.
