Bauchi NGO Empowers Adolescent Girls on Health, Rights and Gender-Based Violence
By Mubarak Aliyu kobi
A Bauchi-based Non-Governmental Organization, Rescue Initiative for Sustainable Development (RISD), has organized a special talking session for adolescent girls as part of activities marking this year’s International Day of the Girl-Child.
The interactive session brought together thirty students from Government Junior Secondary School, Birshin Fulani, in Bauchi Local Government Area.
Speaking during the event, the Executive Director of RISD, Sulaiman Dasika Henna, said the International Day of the Girl-Child was set aside by the United Nations to recognize and promote the rights and potential of girls across the world.
He noted that the day provides a platform to amplify girls’ voices and highlight challenges they face, especially in developing countries.
Mr. Dasika explained that the focus of this year’s commemoration was on adolescent health, gender-based violence, and socioeconomic well-being, areas he described as key to shaping the future of young girls.
According to him, empowering adolescent girls with the right information and support helps them make informed decisions about their lives and communities.
He further emphasized the need for collective responsibility among parents, teachers, and community leaders in creating a safe and enabling environment for girls to thrive.
Mr. Dasika expressed RISD’s commitment to continue championing programs that protect and advance the rights of women and girls in Bauchi State.
On her part, the Program Manager of the organization, Madam Rahillah Bala, explained that many adolescent girls face several challenges due to cultural barriers, poor awareness, and limited access to reproductive health information.
She said the session was organized to educate the girls on how to overcome such barriers and build confidence in themselves.
Madam Rahillah further appealed to stakeholders to support initiatives that promote girl-child education and well-being, stressing that investing in girls is equivalent to investing in the future of society.
Also speaking, a legal practitioner, Barrister Genesis Jack, urged the students to speak up and never remain silent on any case of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) around them.
She said silence encourages abusers and makes justice difficult to achieve, adding that the law protects every girl from any form of abuse or exploitation.
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) was also represented at the event, while the highlight of the program was the distribution of free sanitary pads to the participating students to promote menstrual hygiene and self-care among adolescent girls.
