Africa-Press – Lesotho. The District Child Protection Project under the Ministry of Social Development together with World Vision Lesotho and Help Lesotho commemorated the International Day
of the Girl Child earlier this week. The day is aimed at raising awareness on issues faced by girls across the globe; such as illiteracy, child marriage, teenage pregnancy and child labour.
On December 19, 2011, United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11th as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the
unique challenges girls face around the world. The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face
and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights. In an interview with Informative Newspaper the Ministry of Social Development Senior Child Welfare Officer Thato Masupha said
the project is available in all the 10 districts of Lesotho. “We have peer girls groups that are formed in different High Schools and Primary Schools around Quthing and the primary
agenda of these groups is just to empower a girl child,” she said. The Child Welfare Officer emphasized that the main reason the commemoration was held in Quthing
was due to the increase in teenage pregnancy, child marriage, sexual exploitation and Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the district. She continued to say that girls in that district are
faced with lot of challenges and some of them date older men who end up driving them into child marriage or teenage pregnancy or enter into sexual activities
with them. They realized that most girls in Quthing lack knowledge and education on issues such as teenage pregnancy, child marriage, sexual exploitation and GBV and they need to be educated.
She noted that with this commemoration, they were trying to pass a strong message that a girl child has a right to a safe, educated healthy life and they should be empowered and
independent. For his part, World Vision Lesotho Sponsorship, Advocacy Community Development Coordinator Motlatsi Taaka said World Vision has a project called Ending Child Marriage and Sexual Exploitation on which they
work in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in ensuring that adolescent girls are sensitized on issues regarding early and unintended pregnancy.
“We therefore found it appropriate to part take in this commemoration, in which we are direct stakeholders,” he added. Meanwhile Girl4ce member Motšeoa Makhetha said
they find this celebration very necessary as issues concerning the girl child need to be addressed. She added that through this celebration, they were sensitized on factors that can lead them into unintended pregnancy or child marriage.
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