Chris Awhawha
The Honourable Commissioner for Education Bayelsa State Hon. Dr. Gentle E. Emelah has inaugurated gender and inclusion clubs in select secondary schools in Yenagoa.
Championed by a non Governmental Organization under the aegis of the Voice of the Ijaw Girl Child founded by Mrs. Timipre Tobi Ebiringa.
The event held at the Golden Tulip Hotel, Onopa,Yenagoa on Tuesday, October 2, 2024.
Speaking at the institution of school based gender and inclusion club for adolescents/ inauguration ceremony in Yenagoa,Dr Emelah who was represented by the Permanent Secretary Bayelsa State Ministry of Education Mr Simon-Peter Okene commended the vision bearer Mrs Timipre for standing out to affect her immediate environment and society positively.
Still speaking, the Commissioner decried the cultural defect still affecting society even in the 21st century as the gains of gender equality can not be overemphasized especially the need to promote girl education as some persons still hold on to the wrong belief that educating the girl child is a waste of resources.
Dr Emelah ended by by charging the organization to take a step forward by taking the campaign to the rural areas which is worst hit by the negative syndrome.
Founder of the initiative, Voice of the Ijaw Girl Child, Mrs. Timipre Tobi Ebiringa in her address called for collaborative efforts to combat the societal norm of gender imbalance and inequality as the girl child if given the needed opportunity and support can get to any height in life like her male counterpart even beyond as much as God graced her.
She called on Government and other well meaning individuals to work with her organization to affect society positively in curbing drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, child marriage,pre marital sex among other ills.
Other speakers at the event were the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development represented by Mrs. Idumangi T, Technical Adviser to the Governor on Girl Child Development Hon. Helen Bob, Ambassador Princess Egbe, founder of GLOBAL CARE RESCUE MISSION and Dr Mrs Felicia Welson, a Guidance Counselor who dissected various issues as it regards the development of the girl child.
Highpoint of the event was the inauguration of the school based gender and inclusion club for adolescents which was done by the Honourable Commissioner for Education Bayelsa State to empower young people become gender aware and strengthen inclusive development.
The event featured panel discussions, drama presentation, dance, spoken word presentations by Ms Blessing Abiri, amongst others.
Schools in attendance included Saint Jude’s Girls Model Secondary School Amarata; Federal Government Girls College, Imiringi; Ayakpo Group of Schools and Central Epie Secondary School Opol.
Others were Government Science and Technical College Okaka; Foundation Secondary Schools, Okutukutu and Community Secondary School, Kpansia amongst others.