11/10/2025
*Empowering the Future: A Tribute to the Girl-Child*
By Hon. Dame Blessing Nwagba, PhD
Every year on October 11th, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of the Girl-Child, a day dedicated to recognizing the rights of girls and the unique challenges they face across the globe. As we mark this important occasion, I lend my voice to the global call for empowerment, protection, and investment in the girl-child, not only in Nigeria, but across all nations.
The theme for this year's observance reminds us that girls are not just beneficiaries of development, they are active agents of change, innovation, and progress. When a girl is educated, healthy, safe, and empowered, families thrive, communities grow stronger, and nations prosper.
Yet, despite our collective efforts, millions of girls still face barriers to education, healthcare, safety, and leadership opportunities. Harmful practices like child marriage, gender-based violence, and cultural discrimination continue to limit the potential of far too many young girls, robbing them of their childhoods and their dreams.
In Nigeria, we have seen both progress and persistent challenges. I salute the resilience and courage of Nigerian girls who continue to rise above obstacles, break barriers, and inspire change. From classrooms to boardrooms, from science labs to political platforms, Nigerian girls are proving every day that their voices matter, and must be heard.
As a former Committee Chairman on Women's Affairs and advocate for gender equity, I reaffirm my commitment to championing policies that protect the rights of girls, promote quality education, end gender-based violence, and ensure access to healthcare and economic opportunities.
It is our collective responsibility — as parents, educators, policymakers, and citizens — to create an environment where every girl can grow, learn, lead, and succeed without fear or limitation.
Let us not only celebrate the girl-child today, but invest in her tomorrow. Let us dismantle the barriers that hold her back and build bridges that lift her up. Let us raise our girls to know that they are not inferior, not less capable, and not second-best. Let's remind them that they are powerful, they are valuable, and they are the future.
To every girl out there: You are seen. You are heard. You are loved. And above all, you are unstoppable.
Happy International Day of the Girl-Child!
_Hon Dame Blessing Nwagba, PhD, a former two-time member of Abia State House of Assembly, was the 2023 senatorial candidate of the APC in Abia South, is the Abia State Coordinator of the Nigerian League of Women Voters_