Adolescent girls in West, Central Africa face severe challenges — UNICEF
West and Central Africa continue to grapple with some of the world's most severe challenges for adolescent girls including limited access to education and health services, pervasive gender-based violence, early marriage and discriminatory social norms.
These issues, according to UNICEF were exacerbated by climate crises, conflicts and economic instability.
This came to light at the inaugural Regional Girls' Summit for adolescent girls and youth leadership from across West and Central Africa (WCA) in Dakar, Senegal.
Organised by UNICEF and the government of Senegal, and coinciding with the International Day of the Girl, the summit marked a crucial turning point, emphasising that girls, no longer content to be mere beneficiaries, are now at the forefront of change.
Supported by adolescent boys, the girls demonstrated their fervent determination to reshape the narrative for the region's 75.5 million adolescent girls.
UNICEF Regional Director, Gilles Fagninou, speaking at the summit, underscored the severity of the challenges adolescent girls faced by stating that statistics on well-being were the worst when West and Central Africa were compared to other regions of the world.
Nevertheless, he insisted on the potential for transformation, “Where there is a small opportunity for the girl, the return on investment for the community or country, for the region and for the world, has been unparalleled.”
Declaration
A statement issued by UNICEF after the programme said the summit culminated in the adoption of the "Dakar Declaration and Programme of Action for Girls in West and Central Africa."
This essential road map, it said, was girl-led, and demanded urgent action from leaders to secure their rights and transform their future.
It mentioned the six priority action areas firmly articulated by the declaration which aligned with the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action and Agenda 2063 to be right to education; right to health and well-being; right to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); right to protection, which demanded an end to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage (with the legal age set at 18), and strict laws against violence; right to Participation and Information and fight against climate Change, which recognised its disproportionate impact on girls and calling for their inclusion in climate action plans.
Leaders
The statement said leaders including, the Prime Minister of Senegal, Ousmane Sonko, who was represented by the Minister of Family and Solidarity, made a solemn commitment to widely share the Dakar Declaration within the government, form a reflection committee for its implementation, and called on all states and partners “not to make it a simple document, but a binding road map.”
UNICEF Deputy Executive Director, Omar Abdi, called for measurable progress, “we must not leave this meeting and come back after two years to start from where we were but rather have a clear measure of progress.”
This commitment by the leaders, the statement said, was welcomed by the young leaders.
The first Regional Girls' Summit in West and Central Africa is a foundational act.
The "Dakar Declaration and Programme of Action" is now a living document that demands resources and solid political will.
The urgent call that “girls' rights cannot wait” signalled the end of rhetoric and the beginning of an era of decisive action, guided by the voice of adolescent girls, it said.
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