IWD: Invest In Your Female Children To Accelerate Progress, Osun Gov’s Wife Charges Fathers

The Wife of the Osun State Governor, Erelu Ngozi Adeleke has charged fathers to invest in their female children, noting that the world has evolved and females now occupy strategic positions.

Mrs Adeleke said the era of abandoning girl child and focusing on the opposite gender is gone, urging the parents to invest in their children for the growth of the country.

She decried the rate of rape incidents and unplanned pregnancies among young ladies, noting that they needed extra care and protection.

The wife of the governor spoke yesterday during the presentation of sanitary pads to over 300 female students of private and public secondary schools in Ife North.

The gesture which was in collaboration with the wife of the Deputy Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mrs Fatimah Oyewusi and the Nigeria Youth Congress, Osun State chapter, was in celebration of the 2024 International Women’s Day celebration themed; Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.

Addressing the students, Mrs Adeleke admonished them to be good ambassadors of the state and country wherever they find themselves, emphasising the importance of being careful and talking to their parents when the need arises.

Mrs Adeleke commended women for their resilience and support during these challenging times, urging parents to prioritize this year’s International Women’s Day theme.

“I want to appeal to our fathers to invest and take extra care of our female children. They are the future and the time to support them is now.

“The world has evolved and females are no longer confined into the kitchen. Females now occupy big positions in the world.

“I would like to thank Mrs Oyewusi, and members of the (NYC) for organizing a timely programme for the young girls. This will help them a lot.”

Earlier in his address, Mrs Oyewusi said the gesture was to help the young children and enlighten them on some needed knowledge about the adolescent stage.

The Deputy Speaker’s wife who noted that the girl child faces many challenges in Nigeria, urged the parents to take care and guide them.

According to her, “Those challenges range from families who see them as liabilities instead of assets to societies who don’t appreciate their talents and abilities because of their gender. In many African societies, the girl child is seen as an object for sexual gratification.”

The students were taken through some health talk by Mrs. C.K Dairo, Deputy Director of Nursing Services, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, who was the guest speaker.