15/05/2019
MY GIRL CHILD!!!MY STRONGEST POINT!!!
The Irony of life Concerning the girl child
Never ceasesTo amaze me,From the point
Of Conception orshould I sayPre-conception
Even among newly Weds,they seem to wish
only For a Male Child and to the point where
The child's Gender is finally confirmed by scan
Or at birth,theAfrican Family seemtakePreference
to Male-Child,in total OblivionTo the Avanlache of strength embedded in the Girl-Child.If only She can Be given all the educational support required.
According to Recent Research on Human Development,There is a strong link between women education and international Development with Drastic Social and Economic Progress Especially in impoverished or the so called developing and Underdeveloped nation's.The Girl-Child viz a vis women education Has been discovered as a major explanatory variable responsible For the verse difference in rates of development .Hence a developed Nation viz a viz an underdeveloped Nation.According to notable Economist Lawrence Summers''Investment in the education of Girls may well be the Highest-Return Investment available in the Developing World."Educating a Girl-Child has been shown to give about 1.2%higher returnThan that of their Male counterpart.TheProfitability of Education for girls gives higher Return not only in monetary gain but over the course of total lifetime.
Providing just one extra year of education on girls increases their Wages by 10-20%as compared with boys which only increases by 5%.The increase in monetary gain of the girl-child education creates increase in overall Economic Productivity of a Nation.Educating the Girl Child Provides greater
Dividends .Hence Failure to double the investment on the girl child is not an efficient economic choice for a developing nation or state that desires to attains development .Any Nation or State as the case may be that under invest in the schooling of the Girl-Child Experience slow economic and National development.Looking at the opportunity cost of Not investing in girls ,the total missed GDP is between 1.2%-1.5%.In addition to economic Growth, women's education increases distribution of wealth in a society targeting impoverished masses particularly the disadvantaged group.Increase in number of education for women bring about a less populous Nation as there is decreased fertility rate and lower infant and maternal mortality rate .This closes the Gender GAP ensuring equal opportunity for all regardless of their gender . Educated women are better able to Make decisions related to health both for themselves and their children.Increased Cognitive ability also translates increased Civic Participation .Therefore
Society benefits for themselves through movements and increased Democratic Governance in a Nation with well educated women .In the House hold ,educated women experience less domestic violence and are more involved with Decision Making Process Of the Family and Report Making extends to economic decisions in a household where A Mother is well educated.But socially,societal gender rules telling a girl child role ends I n the kitchen may stifle the girl child's drive for education and pursuit of excellence academically.In a society where education for girls is seen culturally as a tool for making women more attractive as a wife material and not as participant in nation building is completely erroneous and deleterious to our national development.The conclusion of the matter is that ,the active presence of the girl child in the socioeconomic pool can liberate the nation economically faster .The girl child deserves support, empowerment and complete exposure to all round educational reinforcement deemed necessary for socioeconomic growth for she is indeed inbuilt with Natural Capabilities to double all investment she embarks upon aptly and fully endowed to also become an financial giant while also holding up her family duties as a mother .The Girl Child is indeed the Strongest Point when it comes to wealth Creation and Nation Building .Let the Girl Child Lead for She indeed can create the National Economic Transformation we all eagerly await. Let it begin in your family unit,don't shut your girl child down,in your office let your female staff active decision makers,in that community association,let the women take lead roles,they should not be left out of active community decision making.Let the women have a voice. Let them take part in as leaders in because they can for a faster growth and development of the community,state and Nation.
Long live The Nigerian Girl Child
Long live The Young Women in Nigeria
Long live All Women in Africa &The World Over.
Dr. Temmy Oderinde-Clement
State Coordinator/Peer Trainer
YWIPF
