MITIGATING COVID-19 IMPACTS ON GIRLS’ EDUCATION: WRAPA TAKES STEP IN PLATEAU STATE

By: Valentine Adese (JP),

In response to the growing threats and increasing illiteracy levels among girls in Plateau State, owing to COVID-19 negative impact on education, Women’s Rights Advancement and Protection Alternative (WRAPA) with support from Malala Fund has commenced the project of Mitigating COVID-19 Impact on “Girls’ Education”.

WRAPA in Plateau State on the Project, “Mitigating COVID-19 Impact on Girls’ Education: Recovery and Resilience”, has commissioned a girl child education policy advisory group, composed of State and Non-State actors with the primary objective of developing content that would provide useful information to policy makers in Plateau State, and to guide the redesigning and effective implementation of a girl-child friendly educational policies that would ensure the re-enrollment of girls in Schools.

You would recall that, the Covid-19 pandemic forced most governments around the world to temporarily close educational institutions to contain the spread of the virus and girls, who have been saddled with the primary responsibilities at home, being exposed to sexual and gender based violence, early marriages, among other social ills, are left with slimmer opportunities of returning to school, as schools are gradually reopening globally, in Nigeria and especially in Plateau State.

As a step, REALITY gathered that, WRAPA advisory group in Plateau State would soon commence series of engagements in State, which would include, meetings and workshops that would help in the situational analysis of the current educational policies of the State.

The first in the series of expected engagements was the three (3) hours discussion held at the NUJ Press Center Hall in Jos, Plateau State, which drew a wide spectrum of critical education stakeholders including, the Plateau State Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, National Orientation Agency, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT),  Federal of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) the Traditional Council, Youth School Owners, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and Civil Society Organizations, notably, the Civil Society Coalition Action on Education For All (CSACEFA).

You would recall that, in 2017, Plateau State Government vowed to fully implement the Child’s Right Law (CRL), after becoming one of the first states in Nigeria to sign it into Law.

The State also became the first in Northern Nigeria, through the involvement of WRAPA, to gazette and eventually passed into Law, the Gender and Equal Opportunity Law.

This Law clearly provides for a 50% equal opportunity for girls to be enrolled in school.