Speaker Abbas Urges Stronger Laws to End Child Labour, Gender Abuse

By Oluwakemi Kindness

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen, has called for stronger laws to tackle child labour, sexual harassment, gender inequality, forced marriage, and other abuses confronting young Nigerian girls.

Speaking in Abuja at an event marking the International Day of the Girl Child, Abbas described child labour as “endemic” and a major threat to education, stressing that many underage girls are still forced to work as domestic staff instead of attending school.

“We need to ensure that no girl under a certain age is allowed to be seen working as domestic staff. Those children are being denied access to education,” Abbas said. “We must come up with stronger laws that will significantly diminish this menace.”

The Speaker also vowed decisive action against sexual harassment in schools, warning that perpetrators, especially in tertiary institutions, would be made examples of.

He further assured that the House is considering a bill to reserve seats for women and Persons Living with Disabilities, to strengthen female representation in parliament.

Abbas, who hosted schoolgirls from across the country in a session themed “Girls’ Chat with the Speaker”, noted that Nigerian girls are already outperforming boys academically, a sign that gender-focused advocacy since 2011 is yielding results.

The event, organised by the Office of the Speaker in partnership with the House Committee on Women Affairs, brought together students, advocacy groups, and lawmakers.

This year’s theme for the International Day of the Girl Child is “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis.”