By: Lois Otse Adams, Consulting Editor.
It is a known fact that female victims fall prey to human trafficking the most as those who were raped and sexually assaulted are often unwilling to recount their horrific experiences because of the stigma.
However, motivated by a courageous desire to expose the horrific features of human trafficking, the world at large should contribute to this course through seminars, lecture series and philanthropy; a process worthy of emulation and to enable every challenged girl child pursue her dream of becoming a nation builders and responsible citizen. Apart from the above threats facing Girl child in the society, cases of illiteracy in older women, polygamy, poverty, unwholesome traditional practices and superstitious beliefs, forced marriages, woman and child abuse, politics of calumny etc. have sunk deep into the fabric of our society.
Be informed that children all over the world are faced with a myriad of problems, ranging from abuse, exploitation, abandonment, trafficking and early marriage, amongst others, most of which are caused by adults, with no consideration for the future of the child. The United Nations Convention on the right of a child defines a child as every human being below the age of 18 years, and is entitled to the following rights: right to life and development, right to protection, right to information, freedom of thoughts, conscience and religion, right to education, to mention but a few. Therefore, a 21st Century girl-child is entitled to the above mentioned rights as well as global safety by reason of her physical and mental maturity. The need for special safe-guards and care, including necessary legal protection before and after birth, is paramount.
Mothers are the first teachers in the family and every girl child will definitely grow to be a teacher some day, if she is allowed to grow in a conducive atmosphere, a whole lot of benefits are derivable from her. The thinking that a girl-child is designed exclusively for the purpose of procreation should be discarded. Instead, the 21st Century girl-child should be protected against abuse, sexual molestation, domestic violence, trafficking, abandonment, early marriage, etc. Above all, she should be allowed to enjoy her inalienable right to freedom and right to compulsory education without discrimination so that she can contribute to the development of the family, the nation and the world at large.
Equally, she must be encouraged to work hard in school or in any other field of endeavour so that she can participate in the decision making process, because if the girl-child of today is properly equipped, the woman of tomorrow will be better empowered to face whatever threat and challenge that will want to limit her capability.
Everyone should rise up and take full responsibility in the protection of the rights of the girl-child. We must ensure that her rights are protected by providing conducive environments and the necessary facilities in institutions, for the development of potentials of the girl-child. It is not out of place to state that women mostly the less-privileged ones, widows etc are being marginalized by the society in which they find themselves due to cultural or other societal factors. They are also vulnerable to all manner of attacks, they become easy targets to be lured into trafficking and other related social vices by traffickers.
The crass mentality of some in-laws and the negative reasoning of some family members about the issues of the girl-child have also contributed to the high rate of human trafficking worldwide. This is why young girls who have ventured into marriage in the hope of a better life are sometimes victims of torture and fetish beliefs from in-laws. As a result, these young female children get hurt and are sometimes pushed out of their matrimonial homes by overzealous in-laws. They go into the society and are ready to do just about anything to survive, regardless of the consequences.
Some go into human trafficking out of frustration after losing better judgment and dignity to mental, emotional and physical torture. They also make sure younger victims who have lost their confidence and are ready to do anything to earn a living. They have gone through it, so they know how to lure them into it. Traffickers have the perfect plans to scout for victims, mostly teenagers are prey to their plot because of poor parenting, molestation, single parent, home of domestic violent, minors forcefully giving for early marriage etc. They are usually enticed into thinking that traveling abroad will enrich their families. Some naïve parents are also lured into baby factory business for the pursuit of mundane things and some for survival.
As a result, these people who were once sane people have become bitter, embattled and dangerous human beings; they feel depressed, oppressed, badly hurt and desperate. No parent should ever hope to allow their teenage daughters yield to the counsels of traffickers in the name of searching for greener pastures abroad.
Every girl child can succeed without being a sex slave or being a victim of battery or trafficking or the stigma attached therein because there is always hope and light at the end of the end of the tunnel. Do not harden your mind; instead, tell yourself, I can make it since it is not the birth right to only to the privileged but a gift freely given by God. What is past is past; there is a life to live and a future to protect.
For those who are still in the business using the girl-child to produce babies and selling them for money to the highest bidder, remember that girl child is not really too strong and courageous but are resilient and strong to stomach and bear tough situation as to succeed in life. Besides this struggle, she is also supposed to be in school to add value to both local and international communities.
Domestic abuse is still quite rampant in our society today. Unfortunately, cases are under-reported, with only few brought to the fore or reported to the appropriate authority. The fear of stigma, communality and some of the problems of modern-day city living where many neighbours live as strangers, have somewhat aided the increasing number of abuse related cases. Also, men with erratic tendencies have sent many women to their early graves. Some have experienced mental breakdown. Others, out of frustration, have become sexually active with older men old enough to be their fathers. They engage in these acts of promiscuity on a daily basis, with the same burdens that pushed them into it. By the time many of them realize, their future is already jeopardized. Some even die in the process for fear of the unknown.
Women and the Girl child are at the receiving end of these social vices especially in Africa. Sometimes this is aided by our culture. They suffer mostly from the negative effects of the societal norms and values. They are the most vulnerable, most stigmatized, oppressed and suppressed group in our society. It is therefore, the duty of all well-meaning persons to check these societal ills in order to minimize trafficking and abuse.
To all those who have fallen victim of this dastardly act, cheer up! As this will not be the end of life, as you journey further in life, there is need to change your mentality, yield to mentoring and add value to life; do all you can to quit and free yourself from this modern day slavery rather than cover them up for fear of stigmatization.
There is a strong need for government across Africa to form an effective collaboration and come up with, and implementable and workable policies to tackle the embarrassing and dehumanizing problem of trafficking in girl child. This will help build a strong moral capability and a sense of communal responsibility among Africans.
It is important for the young girl child to have strong morals as this will enable them to withstand temptations that could lead to trafficking, being lured into trafficking and being a victim of trafficking.
It is pertinent to note that victims of trafficking who have been through untold sufferings and are now struggling with depression and the difficulty of taking care of their responsibilities were once like us. To compound their problems, unlike many of us, most of these victims, because of the things they have been through, have also lost confidence in themselves.
When a lady loses confidence, she may lose her sense of shame, become wayward and thus, become a nuisance to her society. Responsible parents, in-laws and family members should join forces to expose every activity related to trafficking in the girl child, encourage and support young ladies to work hard to achieve their dreams, and fight to curb this evil that has compromised the pride of womanhood in our society. They must embrace the girl-child, love her, value her and instill in her a sense of confidence and importance, because indeed, she is important.
Finally, the woman (yesterday girl child) is the gateway through which the kings, the presidents, the leaders, etc, comes forth into the world. And though the process begins with an experience of pleasure, it has been proven that motherhood comes with a lot of responsibilities. It is the woman who takes care of the man and the family. She endures all the stress of waking ahead of everyone in the family and being the last one to sleep. And in spite of this enormous responsibilities bestowed on her shoulder by Mother Nature, a woman’s faithfulness to her family is unequalled by any force or event.
Therefore, every girl child must embrace education, develop her mind, avoid activities that weaken her potentials and prepare herself for the task of leadership. With determination, hard work and conviction, there is no limit to what a girl child can achieve.
