The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) on Saturday inducted Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Dutse, Abuja, into the Hall of Fame of the agency.
The agency, in its drive to further stem human trafficking in the country, also inaugurated “Vanguard Club Against Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) in the school.
The induction, which was done with the support of Ford Foundation, an NGO, was part of activities to commemorate the 2023 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Based-Violence (GBV).
The theme of the 2023 activism is “Unite! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls.
The Director-General of NAPTIP, Prof. Fatima Waziri-Azi, while educating students of the school, said the 16 days activism against GBV is an international campaign that takes place every year.
Represented by Dr Ebele Ulasi, NAPTIP’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Waziri-Azi said that the activism commences on Nov. 25, the International Day Against Elimination of Violence Against the female folks and terminate on Dec. 10, the International Human Rights Day.
She added that “the purpose of the activism is to eliminate violence against women and girls.
“The activism days running through to the human rights day is an indication that violence against women and girls is a pervasive breach of human rights worldwide.
“This initiative was originated by activists at the inaugural Women Global Leadership Institute in 1991 as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), 2023 marks the 32 anniversary.”
The D-G encouraged the students to be good ambassadors against SGBV wherever they find themselves.
The Principal of the school, Mrs Fatima Mohammed, said the inauguration of the Vanguard Club against GBV would help to shape students’ knowledge the more.
According to her, the inauguration of the vanguard against GBV is going to affect the school positively because it is on the enlightenment side and that the girl-child is going to understand that she has the right to voice out any GBV incidence.
Mohammed stated that “the students are bold, they are fearless and along with NAPTIP program, will give them more strength to correct the anomalies in the society.
“Let us orient ourselves in doing what is right, what is good, we must understand that once these decimals are achieved, nothing will be wrong with us.
“NAPTIP, I want to say a very big thank you for the opportunity to tell my girls those things to understand about vulnerability.”
Miss Afolabi-Purity Osiafore, the Head Girl GGSS Dutse, said that the only way government could help the female folks to fight GBV was to ensure that serious punishments are meted out on offenders.
She urged government to empower women and the girls to enable them harness their potential to full capacity.
Miss Justin-Peculiar Ndziviya, the Social Affairs Prefect, said that the inauguration of the vanguard club would help to enlighten the students the more.
