The presentations and follow-up discussions during the day were centered on child marriage and girls’ education.
It was held at Sheikh Hamdan Senior Secondary School for Girls in Yundum on the theme: “Putting Adolescent Girls at the Centre of SDGs: The Case of Goal 5.”
The communications manager of TGA, Isatou Bittaye, said 11 October was declared by the United Nations as the International Day of the Girl.
Every year, the day is celebrated to recognise girls’ rights and the challenges they face, as well as galvanise voices to tackle those challenges.
Mrs Bittaye said this year’s theme seeks to reflect on the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) implemented over the past 15 years and prepare the world to put the girl child at the center of the just-adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Goal 5 of the SDGs aims to achieve gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.The goal also has a target to eliminate all harmful traditional practices such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation.
“At The Girls’ Agenda level, we have decided to celebrate the day focusing on child marriage because it is part of our thematic focus, and it is a human rights issue in the country that needs to be discussed,” the communications manager of the organisation said.
She further explained that there is need to educate and empower young people with skills to be able to demand for protection of their right against child marriage.
This is cognizant of the fact that young people are the facilitators of change and very critical players in ending child marriage.
The Girls’ Agenda focuses mostly on the development of adolescent girls by empowering them with basic but crucial life skills to achieve their fullest potentials.
In addition, it works with communities and groups to advocate for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls.
