The world observed International Day of the Girl Child yesterday. As is normal with these observances, global data relevant to the year just past punctuated the websites of the many agencies dedicated to girls, children and gender issues.
It is estimated that there are 600 million adolescent girls living in the world today. Of these, nearly one in five are not completing lower-secondary and nearly 4 in 10 are not completing upper-secondary school. Further, one in four girls aged 15 to 19 who have ever been married or had a partner are affected by gender-based violence. Girls continue to account for 3 in 4 new HIV infections among adolescents. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 100 million girls were at risk of child marriage in the next decade. Today that figure has risen to 110 million owing to the pandemic, climate change and poverty, though not necessarily in that order. There are more statistics, but these suffice to show that there is much that is wrong with the state of adolescent girls in the world today.
Under the theme, “Invest in Girls’ Rights: Our Leadership, Our Well-being” United Nations agencies chose to focus much attention on stamping out the scourge of child marriage, which, in reality, is an act of gender violence. In many countries in Asia and Africa, girls as young as eight years old are married to men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, who can afford the ‘bride price’, usually set by the child’s father. (Child marriages are also prevalent in Trinidad and Tobago.) Such girl children are seen as saving their families from economic ruin, or advancing their financial status. Either way, child marriage is a completely immoral act often disguised as ‘culture’. The patriarchal predisposition to treat children, particularly girls, as property and commoditise them is despicable to say the least and should have long been eradicated.
Before we in Guyana attempt to pat ourselves on the back and judge the above-mentioned societies, we should examine our own failings where girl children are concerned. There must be acknowledgement that their treatment, in general, is skewed. For instance, there is a vast contrast between the healthcare, educational opportunities, protection from abuse and harm and standard of living, available and accessible to urban, rural and hinterland girls. So much so that the last mentioned group could be living in an entirely different country.
This was distinctly revealed in the aftermath of the horrific Mahdia dormitory fire, which took 20 lives; for those who were yet unaware of the conditions some children are forced to endure in order to attain a secondary education. A previous similar crisis – the 2008 girls’ dorm fire at Waramadong, which saw the loss of three lives – had offered evidence of this, which many, including those in authority, chose to ignore.
While it is true that child abuse occurs everywhere, regardless of societal status; it is also a fact that poorer girls/children seem to be disproportionately affected. More than one UNICEF study conducted here over the years found sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy more prevalent among the poor and vulnerable.
In October 2019, the non-governmental organisation ChildLink, which operates Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) around the country, reported that child sexual abuse cases had increased by 40 percent between 2014 and June 2019. Further, between January and June 2019, the CACs had received 343 referrals of children who were sexually abused, the majority of whom were girls. Nor should we forget the reports that surfaced in 2017 of rampant abuse and rapes of young girls at Baramita in Region One. In 2018, then PAHO representative Dr William Adu-Krow had appealed for national attention to address the distressing situation in Baramita. The next year, there were over 259 teenage pregnancies in that region. Whether any intervention was made remains a mystery to this day, but Baramita still appears to be in dire straits. Last year, the police said they were seeking the community’s help to tackle the “social ills” there. Alas, these issues are not limited to Region One.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are girls who have been making significant strides; excelling in academics and various artforms. Their accomplishments are publicised for all to take note and rightly so. However, at the same time, their peers who do not have the necessary support and face all manner of adversity, also need attention. In fact, the latter group needs it more. They also need to be granted the opportunity to write their own stories.
To paraphrase 17th century Anglican Bishop Dr George Berkeley, who posited the much-quoted “if a tree falls in the forest” question, if a girl falls through the cracks and no one pays any attention, she has still fallen. The consequences of her ruin are significant and can endure for generations, particularly if there is no hand reaching down to help her up. Preventing such by investing in girls’ rights is the gift that keeps on giving. It is the right thing to do.
