Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, has empowered over four hundred girls with digital literacy, resilience, and the skills needed to navigate the complexities of the digital world.
Its Executive Secretary, Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, who stated this while commemorating the International Day of the Girl Child with the Theme: “Digital Generation- Our Generation”,
said the aim was to celebrate the incredible potential, strength, and resilience embodied by the girls.
While reaffirming the agency’s dedication to ensuring that the digital world remains a safe, empowering, and inclusive space for the girls, Vivour-Adeniyi urged all the stakeholders to create a world where every girl can thrive, both online and offline.
The Executive Secretary noted that Lagos State Government has taken a firm stance against Sexual and Gender Based Violence crimes in the State by providing a strong culture, policy and procedures for prevention, education, training and support to victims of these crimes.
”Their power to shape the future is unparalleled, and it is our privilege to stand beside them on this transformative journey’ and our girls are at the forefront of innovation, creativity, and progress” She added.
“Let us stand united in breaking down the digital divide and ensuring that technology becomes a force for good in their lives” Vivour-Adeniyi noted.
She said the girl child are the pioneers of the “Digital Generation,” the generation that effortlessly navigates through the digital landscape, harnessing technology as a tool for empowerment and change.
Vivour-Adeniyi, urged all stakeholders to celebrate the “Digital Generation. Our Generation” with hope, determination, and unwavering commitment to change the world for the better.
Also, Lawmaker representing Lagos Island Constituency 1, Chairman House Committee on Women Affairs, Poverty Alleviation and Job Creation in the House of Assembly, Princess Omolara Oyekan- Olumegbon, while delivering the Keynote Address stressed that the Girl Child need to be encouraged and helped in achieveing their goals. She stressed the importance of leveraging the digital space as a useful tool in accessing information which is critical for harnessing their different potentials. She also emphasized the concept of digital footprint , letting the girls know that they should be wary of what they post on line. Hon. Oyekan- Olumegbon encouraged the girls to make use of the digital space as individuals , including females have the potential thrive even in the digital space.
A Social Justice Advocate, GBV Consultant and one of the Speakers for the day, Mrs. Omotola Rotimi, said the girl child needs to be continuously informed about negative and positive effect of digital space in ensuring that technology becomes a force for good in their lives.
Rotimi, who spoke on “My Rights as a Girl Child”, said she was happy that the children were well informed about digital space, stressing that they known how to use the digital information, in terms of their homework and searches on expanding proficiency.
“All the Rights we are talking about is online,so they can go online to read it, because it gives them the power to be able to speak for themselves, to guide themselves against being bullied, abused and violated at anytime” She said.
Meanwhile, A participant, Fatimoh Shiro, said Gender inequality is one of the biggest challenges girls encounter in the online world, every year, girls miss out on the opportunity to thrive as a result of the gender gap and imbalance.
She highlighted some of the challenges girls encounter which include economic deprivation, female Genital Mutilation , early marraige,child abuse and gender inequality.
Also, A student from Eva Adelaja Girls Senior Secondary School, Bariga, Abolaji Adeshina, said she has the power to be whoever she sets out to be. In her words , “I am who I am, I can be who I want to be if God is helping me, I am a Girl Child and no one can take my right away from me” Adeshina added.
Laying credence to their knowledgeable insights, the Girls showcased Peer learning, in-depth analysis on topical Debates, Spoken words, poems, dances and drama in their various presentations which were centred around the theme.
Adejoke Ladenegan-Oginni
Lagos DSVA
11/10/2023.
