Our Equal Future ,The Environment and Gender Equality by Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

We must be earnest in our approach to drastically reducing the threats to gender equality and provide for the environment of the girl child to thrive and attain her full potential. Empowering the girl child is a silver bullet that will solve age-long snags of alleviating poverty, eradicating feamle gential mutilation, tackling the problem of poor hygiene and malnutrition, reducing maternal and child morbidity, putting a stop to domestic abuse, rape, etc. We cannot over emphasize the benefits of gender equality to national development, and it is pivotal to achieving other Sustainable Development Goals(SGDs). The girl child, most especially in African countries, Nigeria in particular, still suffers various forms of oppression and inequality due to gender discrimination and the vulnerability of her status as a child, some of which include: gender stereotyping, sexual and gender based violence, child marriage, child trafficking, access to technology, healthcare, nutrition and education. All these factors have adverse effects on the life of girls and thus, it is important that their realities are brought to light, now more than ever. It is the duty of the government and the citizens of any nation to ensure and protect the rights of all girls by working to execute the tenets of the global agendas which have been established for the empowerment and protection of girls through advancing their voices for this cause. Lending one's voice also includes criticizing and challenging discriminatory laws, harmful laws and customary practices. It only takes one person's action or inaction for inequality and discrimination to be inflicted on the girl child. Thus, it will be through each person's voice or continual contribution that a collective effort towards a more fair and just society, free of oppression and discrimination, can be formed and lead to an equal future for every girl child. Let us all come together and show our commitment by dedicating resources to girls to realize their rights and fulfill their full potential, because achieving gender equality and women's empowerment is integral to each of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Only by ensuring the rights of women and girls across all the goals would we get to justice and inclusion, economies that work for all, and sustaining our shared environment now and for future generations.