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The Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD) has called on parents and families to keep girls in school and support their education and development.
IRIAD made the call in commemoration of the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC), with the theme, “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights!”
The Director of The Electoral Hub, Princess Abijah Hamman-Obels, said in a statement on Monday that the commemoration draws attention to a practice that continues to deny girls their childhood, education, health, choices and future.
She also urged governments at all levels to move beyond commitments to implementation by strengthening and enforcing laws and policies that protect girls from child marriage, violence and exploitation.
She called for investment in quality education, healthcare, social protection, skills development and community-based protection systems.
“The Ministry of Education should ensure that girls can enter, remain in and complete school in safe, inclusive and supportive environments.
“It should address the barriers that force girls out of education and create pathways for leadership, life skills, digital skills and economic empowerment,” she said.
She further urged the Ministry of Women Affairs to strengthen programmes that prevent child marriage, protect girls at risk and support survivors.
Hamman-Obels also stressed the importance of ensuring that girls’ voices and lived experiences inform policies and programmes designed to promote their wellbeing, participation and leadership.
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