THE PLACE OF THE GIRL CHILD IN THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY

BEEN A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE VALEDICTORY SERVICE OF

ONIKE GIRL JNR HIGH SCHOOL, ONIKE, YABA LAGOS. 20TH MAY, 2005
BY MR. TEMITAYO TAOFEEK OSHINUGA.

Good day, Mr. Chairman, The Principal Onike Girl Junior High School, Invited
guests, Parents / guardians, Teachers, Ladies and gentlemen.

It affords me great honour to present this paper tittled “THE PLACE OF THE GIRL
CHILD IN THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY

INTRODUCTION
At the last count of the population census conducted in 1991, Women Constitute 51%
of the total population in Nigeria. In a nutshell, they outnumbered the men.

Who is a girl child?

A girl child is the female specie of Homo sapiens. She has a distinct psychological
physiological, biological and emotional features that makes her different from the boy
child.

AN OVER VIEW OF THE GIRL CHILD IN THE FAMILY

At birth, a boy child is preferred and pampered, the girl child is not so welcomed.
She undergoes female genital multination at tender age, she is subjected to over
burdening of the household chores to prepare her for the societal role of home keeping
while the boy child is either playing football or watching television.
She is given out in marriage at early ages to ensure that she does not become
promiscuous at the expense of her education and training.

A GIRL CHILD IN THE FAMILY OF ONE

A girl child becomes the centre of attraction. She is over pampered, she is spoilt.
Father and mother treat her as a fragile article that needs to be handled with care. Both
parent scramble and struggle for her attention and love. She is given a lot of liberty and
freedom.

A GIRL CHILD OCCUPYING THE 1ST AND LAST POSTIONS IN THE

FAMILY BIRTH ORDER.

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A girl child occupying the 1st position in the family birth order is shown love and
attention initially, as soon as the boy child comes, she loses most of the attention given
to her because the coming of boy child has secured a permanent position for the
mother, she is now recognised as a full fledge wife by the husband’s family. The
family will show appreciation by thanking her for giving birth to a boy, they
sometimes remarked that would have show her the way out had it been she delivered
another baby girl.

The case of the girl child occupying the last position in the family birth order is of
sweet and sour situation. If it happens that she is only girl and the youngest in the
family, she becomes the pet of the parent, while the boys are jealous of her. Whenever
the parent are not at home, she becomes the errand girl so to speak and if she refuses
to obey any instruction given to her, by her brothers she will be dealt with ruthlessly.

A GIRL CHILD IN THE FAMILY OF GIRLS.

Are the most unfortunate, they are treated with scorn and hatred by their father’s
family while their mother is treated as a part time and temporary wife, who has not
secure a permanent seat or position for herself.
She is threatened, maltreated and insulted.
They sometimes mounted pressure on their son to marry another wife who will give
birth to boy child. Forgetting that it is God that gives or determines the gender of a
baby, scientifically, it is the man that produces the X Y chromosomes.

A GIRL CHILD IN THE SOCIETY

1. Girls Hawking practices
2. Early Marriage
3. Girl Child as Househelp.
4. Society Poor attitude to girl child
5. Girl child poor self concept
Girl Hawking practices is an abuse of her right. Though it is an avenue to bring in
additional income, or in some cases, it is the only source of generating income that
feeds the family. As a result of the Hawking practices, she is exposed to dangers such
as assault, accident, rape and other unimaginable acts against her person.

Early Marriage is prominent in some part of the country a girl child is forced or given
out in her early ages. She does not have any say in choosing her husband.
At that age, she is not psychologically biologically and emotionally ready for
marriage.
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In addition, if she is pregnant, the process of child birth is very difficult, she has a lot
of complications which results to V.V.F

A Girl Child as House-help is another abuse of her right, she is given out to couples
who can afford to pay for her unsolicited services.
In some cases, she is maltreated by her madam, overworked, physically and
psychologically abused. She is also an easy prey to the randy husband of her madam,
she is forcefully made to satisfy the sexual urge, want and demand of her master. If
caught by the unsuspecting madam, the girl child is accused of deliberating seducing
and luring her husband to sex escapades.
The girl child is beaten, battered and eventually thrown out.

 Closely related to this, whenever there is any misfortune that is affecting the home
where the girl child is serving as house help, it is girl child that is accessed of
afflicting her employer with evil power. She is beaten battered and thrown out.

May God Almighty protect the girl child from the hands of the wicked ones.

 A girl child in the school environment, there are reported cases of sexual
harassment and assault by randy male teachers, who are old enough to be her
father. Those who are expected to protect the right of the girl child are the ones
found committing culpable crime against her.

 Girl child poor self concept, because of the hostile environment that girl child finds
herself, she develops poor self concept, she has low esteem of her self, she sees her
self as 2nd class human being to then boy child. She accepts her fate gullibly.

She cannot assert herself she follows the dictates of some callous men, who used her
for commercial exploit.
She dresses indecently in order to feel wanted and accepted by the boys and men.

 Closely related to this, is the society poor attitude to the girl child. Of recent, there
was a popular advertisement which further confirmed the preference for the boy
child over the girl child is the “mama na boy saga” in which the community was
thrown into excitement, happiness and joy as a result of the birth of a baby boy.

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 In some part of the country, the girl child is further traumatised by sending her
abroad to practice prostitution in order to off set or pay off the debt been owned by
the family. Her safety is not considered nor the ravaging AIDS and HIV scourge
that is afflicting the human race.

 In some cases, she is forced to have sexual intercourse with dogs thus further
humiliating and debasing the psyche of the girl child.

 CHOICE OF MARRIAGE, the girl child has no say in the choice of her partner, if
she comes from high socio-economic class and she is dating someone who is from
low socio-economic class, her choice is likely to be over ruled because her choice,
did not meet the standard set by the parent. They will rather prefer her getting
married to their friend’s son and business partner’s son.
It is also the same story for a girl child who comes from low socio-economic class
and if she’s dating someone from high socio-economic class her would be parent –
in – law considers her as a gold digger, they would prefer their son to marry a girl
of the same high socio – economic class.

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS HIGHLIGHTED.

 Those who engage in discriminating against the girl child should stop henceforth
and they should to the turn to the scriptures, the Bible and Quran, and see the
reasons for creating woman, which is to serve as a comforter, adviser, human shock
absorber, lover and good partner to man.

 Parents and families irrespective of status should accept the girl wholeheartedly,
accord her love, honour and respect. They should remember that the gender of any
baby is a solely determined by God Almighty. If they believe God and love God,
they should extend the same love to the girl child unconditionally.

 There must be an enforceable legislation against girls Hawking practices and erring
parent found wanting should be dealt with in accordance with the law.

 Closely related to this, there should be a law or legislation prohibiting early

marriage in order to save and stop the high incidence of V.V.F.

 There should be total ban on using the girl child as house helps.

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 Erring male teachers caught harassing the girl child, should be made to face the
wrath of the law.

 There should be a legislation prohibiting indecent dressing among our girls.

 In addition, regulating authorities of the advertisement industry should ban any

advert that discriminates or portrays the girl child in a bad light.

 Guidance counsellors, Teachers, parents, N.G.O’s should counsel and provide the
right information on the need to have good self concepts and high esteem.

 Role models such as the Principal of this school, Dr. Ngozi Nwela Okonji, Finance
minister, Dr. Doris Akunluyi, NAFDAC boss, Chief Mrs Oluremi Tinubu, the 1st
Lady and the Founder New Era Foundation should be emulated.

 Girl child should be allowed to choose her life partner and giving assistance by
exposing her to pre-marital /marriage counselling.

Choice of marriage should not be based on the level of socio-economic class rather it
should be on true love, trust, honesty, fear of God, patience, perseverance, dedication
and mutual respect for one another.
Before drawing the curtain on this lecture, it is important to briefly discuss, life after
the J.S.S. 3 examination, what’s next

1. Guidance Counsellor should provide information on subject classifications and

combinations.
2. There must be proper monitoring on the part of the parents while awaiting the
J.S.S. 3 result.
3. Engage the graduating students in a worthwhile activities such as learning to
sow, draw carve, having a skill for typing on the computer etc.
4. Girls should beware of peer group influence, they should desist from
participating in activities that can ruin their lives/career.

It is my prayer that the graduating students will pass their examination in flying
colours, and the teachers/parents should reap abundantly from their sweat and what
they labour for.

May the good God continue to protect, bless and shower His blessings on us all Amen.
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Thank you.