FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Release_YNCSD Demands End to Planned Marriages of Orphaned Girls in Niger State, Nigeria
The Youth Network for Community and Sustainable Development (YNCSD) expresses its firm condemnation of the proposed plan by the Speaker of the Niger State House of Assembly, Rt Hon. Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, to arrange marriages for 100 orphaned girls in the state.
Characterizing this initiative as a “Constituency empowerment project” is a gross misrepresentation. It constitutes an unethical intervention that disregards the fundamental rights and well-being of these young females.
Arranged marriages of this nature often lead to increased rates of gender-based violence and deprive girls of their right to education. Furthermore, from a socio-economic perspective, this plan offers no sustainable solution and demonstrates a short-sighted approach. Every girl deserves the opportunity to reach her full potential, and child marriage steals that chance.”
At YNCSD, we are currently championing a Campaign to Combat Child Early and Forced Marriage(CEFM Project). The project will address the root causes and consequences of Child, Early, and Forced Marriage (CEFM) through a multi-faceted approach that includes community engagement, education, economic empowerment, advocacy, and social norm change.
We urge the Niger State House of Assembly to immediately abandon this exploitative proposal and instead focus on initiatives that empower these young women through access to education, vocational training, and psychosocial support.
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Contact:
Joan Obeta
Communications and Advocacy Officer | Youth Network for Community and Sustainable Development | Tel:+234 (0)7061469504 Mobile: +234(0)8136277456| url: www.yncsd.org |
