Abuja- Canada has pledged to support Nigeria in ending early and forced marriage of girls.
Canada’s High Commissioner in Nigeria, Mr Perry Calderwood, made the pledge at a photo and video exhibition tagged: Too Young to Wed, in Abuja on Friday.
Calderwood said “Canada is among the countries that support ending early and forced child marriage by 2030 as a post-2015 development agenda priority to mobilise resources on a sustained basis.
“We are also intensifying our advocacy and programming efforts toward ending child early and forced marriage around the world.
“In Nigeria, we are using local development funding to support the empowerment of women and girls, including promoting primary and secondary education for all girls”, he said.
He added that Canada was pleased to have Mrs Maryam Uwais, Chairperson, Board of Directors and Founder, Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative, and Ms. Amina Hanga, the Executive Secretary.
The envoy said Isa Wali Initiative was part of the network of “Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to end Child Marriage”.
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Calderwood said the network was the recipient of this year’s John Diefenbaker Defender of Human Rights and Freedom Award in 2014.
According to him, the award recognises individuals or groups who show exceptional courage and leadership in defending human rights and freedom internationally.
“This non-monetary award reflects Canada’s strong commitment to promoting respect for human rights for all people around the world.
“I congratulate the Girls Not Brides network for having been selected for this award.
“I also commend the Isa Wali Empowerment Initiative and its members for their important work in support of the well-being and the empowerment of girls in Nigeria.
The envoy said the exhibition of 26 photos and two videos was a collaborative effort by the Government of Canada, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), and photo-journalist Stephanie Sinclair.
Calderwood said Canada recognised that leadership of the governments of high-prevalence countries was critical in all successful efforts to address child, early and forced marriage.
He said Canada was impressed by the strong commitment of many such countries to lead change on the issue of girl, early and forced marriage.
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“Canada welcomed the decision of the AU to launch a two-year campaign to end child marriage.
`We are also pleased to see that this issue has been recognised by the Nigerian government.
“Everyone has a role to play, from the UN, to national governments, regional organisations, civil society organisations and communities.
“Ending child, early and forced marriage will contribute to building more just and prosperous societies around the world”, he said.
Calderwood said Canada wanted a world in which all girls and boys had the opportunity to pursue their education and achieve their full potential.
According to him, the country also looks forward to a world where boys and girls are free from pressure to marry before they complete their studies and reach adulthood. (NAN)
