By Tony Adibe
The National Association of Seadogs (NAS) has called for every necessary action to be taken in upholding human rights, as “our everyday essentials.”
NewsBits reports that the Enugu chapter of NAS, in commemorating the World Human Rights Day on Thursday, focused on the theme, “Girls Rights and Gender Equality.”
The Cap’n of the chapter, Mr. Oseloka Egbuchiem, said that theme is reflective of the role of the girl-child in community building as we believe that “in educating and strengthening the girl, you build a nation.”
He pointed that gender equity is as essential as gender equality because “after informing the girl-child of her rights, the society owes her a level playing field to fully enjoy them.”
As part of a long-drawn celebration, the chapter held a special interactive session with students and teachers of a private school, Solid Base Secondary School, Enugu. The session stressed that “when boys and girls support each other, the whole school grows, families grow, and society becomes better.”
Egbuchiem, explained that the session with “pre-teens and teenagers is to stress the importance of inculcating such awareness in children early in life.” He added: “We believe that when they become aware of gender rights at this stage of their education, they will be in a better position to handle life choices in the future.”
A mentor, relationship and marriage counselor, and the guest speaker, Mrs. Onyinye Chux-Orji noted that the session is not only for girls, “it is for everyone, because when girls succeed, families, communities, and nations succeed.
“When boys and girls support each other, the whole school grows, families grow, and society becomes better.” She said further: “equality is not giving girls and boys the same life; it is giving them the same chances because gender equality is not a fight between boys and girls; it is teamwork.”
Emphasising that “it’s up to us to create a future where every boy and every girl can shine and there is mutual respect,” Chux-Orji said that “when a girl is empowered, a family is uplifted and a community transform.”
The proprietress of the school and legal practitioner, Mrs Tessy Igweani commended the novelty of the program and observed that the theme “resonates with the school’s motto, which is ‘Excellence In Character And Learning’.”
“We believe that anything one does without character is without substance. Character enables and strengthens learning,” Igweani said. She promised that the school “will ensure that the students continue with what they have learnt today, and live by the affirmative allegiance the boys took today to respect the girls.” Some NAS members with staff and students of the school in a group photograph.
