“We need to see girls as precious assets – custodians of the values that sustain our society”

March 8 marks International Women’s Day. Women are change-makers聽and leaders, full of great potential,聽their value in society immeasurable.聽

As Adelaide Hoodless – the education reformer who founded the Women’s Institute –聽said:聽国产视频淓ducate a girl and you educate a community.国产视频� This is evident in the power of women to shape the world.

Courageous and fearless –聽it is undoubtedly true that women are part of the solution, not the problem.聽

It is time to stop debating about their worth and start seeing them as they should be: a valuable asset in society. Women’s rights is not a women国产视频檚 issue. It is human rights.

However, 聽as we celebrate the strength and value of women, it is important to remember girls are still faced with many challenges related to gender.聽

They are often subjected to rigid outdated practices, such as child marriage. An estimated 140 million girls will become child brides between 2011 and 2030.聽

Girls聽who marry before age 18聽are often聽denied access to education and are vulnerable to聽violence from their husbands.

According to a UNESCO report in 2013, 31 million girls of primary school age were not in school and about one out every four girls in developing countries did not complete their primary school education.聽

These statistics are staggering and they are not just mere numbers. They represent a pool of untapped girl power and potential. They represent what the state of our community would look like in years to come.聽

In my country, Sierra Leone, girls’ education is improving聽but it remains a challenge due to number of factors.聽

Early pregnancy, gender-based violence聽and child marriage continue to increase girls’ dropout rates in school.聽

Sierra Leone has one of the world国产视频檚 highest adolescent pregnancy rate –聽a phenomenon escalated by the outbreak of Ebola, which took thousands of lives but also left many girls out of school.聽

60% of the girls in Sierra Leone often get married as early as age 11. This, coupled with other pressing factors, prevents many girls from getting聽an education in Sierra Leone.聽

The challenges girls face聽are disturbing and need longstanding situations. But what is most disturbing is what society thinks of them.聽

Recently聽I was on a radio station, discussing the importance of girls’ education. I emphasised the need for a girl to be educated and how it is not a choice anymore. It is their human right to get an education.聽

Soon after, a girl from the audience called and expressed her concern. It goes along these lines: 国产视频淚 am 16 year-old girl聽and I want to be a better person but I am surrounded by people who told me that I am a piece of sexual material and that makes me feel worthless.国产视频澛�

This made me lose聽my composure but, in response, I told her聽that her worth cannot be simply reduced to her sexual appeal聽and that her worth is beyond measure.聽

As a society, we need to change our perception of girls and start seeing them as integral part of society.聽

We need to stop sending girls into early marriage聽and, most importantly, we need to see girls as precious assets, not a聽liabilities.聽

As a girl champion, advocating for girls国产视频� education, it means we have a lot of work do, in ensuring a safer and prosperous atmosphere for girls.聽

But as a human being聽it scares me聽sometimes聽to live in a society that fails to see the value of girls and harnessing their great potential and power.聽

Girls are the custodians of the values that sustain our society. How we see and treat them will determine the kind of future we create for the next generation.