cfhinitiative

SPEAK WEDNESDAY -THE IMPORTANCE OF GIRL CHILD EDUCATION

According to Michelle Obama, when girls are educated, their countries become stronger and more prosperous.

The right to education is a basic right that every girl child is entitled to as provided by the Constitution and other relevant legal instruments for the protection of children.

This is so because the acquisition of education is a great foundational start for every girl child. Therefore, the value cannot be overemphasized.

UNICEF acknowledged that when we invest in a girl’s education;

  • The lifetime earnings of girls dramatically increase
  • National growth rates rise
  • Child marriage rates decline
  • Child mortality rates fall

And so much more because when girls are empowered, they are given the opportunity to have big dreams and break biases.

A Chinese proverb says, ‘education is the best legacy to give a child because giving your child a skill is better than giving him or her a thousand pieces of gold”.

Centre for Family Health Initiative plays a significant role in girl child education by assisting rural communities to ensure all children regardless of their financial status attain quality education.

In 2020, CFHI during the Commemoration of International Children’s Day held an essay competition that had a winner, a girl child, awarded a scholarship.

Also in 2021, CFHI donated books to primary and junior secondary schools Sabo-Karimo for their school libraries.

Educate a girl child today.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #GirlChild #Girlchildeducation #genderequality #genderbias

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON GENDER STEREOTYPE AND IT’S EFFECT ON MENTAL HEALTH

The United Nations defined gender stereotype as a preconception about attributes or characteristics, or the roles that are or ought to be possessed by, or performed by, women and men. A gender stereotype is harmful when it limits women’s capacity to develop their personal abilities, pursue their professional careers and/or make choices about their lives.

Example includes exposure to higher rates of sexual assault, gender-based violence, not criminalizing marital rape, sexualizing women, believing that victims of sexual violence agreed to sexual acts, lower rates on education, employment, inclusion in leadership et al.

A Medical News Today’s article reviewed in June 2021, reported that studies have shown a link between experiencing discrimination and mental health symptoms. Sexism also exposes people to many risk factors of mental health conditions, including chronic stress, negative self-image, and trauma. Furthermore, exposure to socioeconomic inequality and harmful messages in the media can lead to women developing mental conditions.

Other psychological effects of gender stereotyping include depression, anxiety, insomnia, anger, sadness, post-traumatic stress disorder and more.

In anticipation of the World Mental Health Day 2022, the Centre for Family Health Initiative enjoins all to learn, speak up and always condemn gender stereotyping.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

  • #SpeakWednesday #Genderstereotype #Genderrights #Genderequality #mentalhealth

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THE RIGHTS OF THE GIRL CHILD – SPEAK WEDNESDAY

The girl-child in Nigeria is recognized as a human being who is protected by the laws of Nigeria which include the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Child Rights Act, and other legal instruments geared toward the protection of child’s rights.

According to the Child Rights Act, the recognizable rights of a girl-child in Nigeria include:

Right to survival and development

Right of a child to free, compulsory and universal primary education, etc

Right of a child in need of special protection measure

Right of the unborn child to protection against harm, etc.

Right to name

Freedom of thought, conscience, and religion

Right to private and family life

Right to freedom of movement

Right to freedom from discrimination

Right to dignity of the child

Right to health and health services

Right to parental care, protection, and maintenance, etc.

Furthermore, the girl-child by the provisions of the various domestic instruments and laws has a right to basic education, and the right to be protected from neglect, negligent maltreatment, or exploitation. – Child Rights Act 2003, CRC 199O, UDHR 1948

The realization of the fundamental rights of the girl-child rights is the actualization of a healthy society where women can thrive, therefore, government, NGOs, private organizations, individuals, and all stakeholders are encouraged to implement, advocate and uphold the rights of every girl-child in Nigeria.

CFHI will continue to advocate for the rights of every girl-child.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #ChildRights #GirlChildRights #Genderrights #Humanrights #fundamentalrights

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH

 

Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health in numerous ways, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the World Health Organization, between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress.

Health is already being impacted by climate change in a variety of ways, including the increased frequency of extreme weather events like heat-waves, storms, and floods, the disruption of food systems, an increase in zoonosis, food-water diseases vector-borne diseases, and mental health problems.
Furthermore, many of the social factors that contribute to good health, such as employment opportunities, equality, access to medical treatment, and social support networks, are being undermined by climate change.
Women, children, ethnic minorities, poor communities, migrants or displaced people, elderly populations, and individuals with underlying health issues are among the most at risk and disadvantaged groups who experience a disproportionate amount of these climate-sensitive health concerns.

According to Common Wealth Fund in the article “The Impact of Climate Change on Our Health and Health Systems”, accessed on 26 September,2022, Since 2008, weather-related incidents have caused an average of more than 20 million people to relocate worldwide. Compared to the consequences on physical health, the effects of such stress and loss on mental health are more difficult to measure. However, they are still very severe.

The greatest threat to human health is climate change but reducing emissions of greenhouse gases through better transport, food and energy-use choices can result in improved health.

 

#MondayHealthBurst #ClimateChange #CDC #Palladium #VillageReach #PreservationofOzoneLayer

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY – BARRIERS TO EQUALITY IN THE SOCIETY

BARRIERS TO EQUALITY IN THE SOCIETY

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.

However, in both private and public spheres, women face occupational segregation and multiple barriers – such as lack of access to land, capital, financial resources and technology, as well as gender-based violence – due to cultural mindset and stereotypes. ~ U.N WOMEN

Other barriers that encourage inequality in the society includes unconscious bias, lack of legal frameworks against discrimination of women, non- commitment of our leaders towards the attainment of equality in the society, etc. These barriers exist in education, working settings, leadership, homes and almost in every aspect of the existence of women.

This unfortunate yet realistic state of affairs led to the report by the United Nations Women which stated that it may take close to 300 years to achieve full gender equality.

Inequality in access to education, income, job, healthcare, leadership, social support services, etc can limit girls and women from reaching their full potentials which may lead unemployment, extreme poverty, and other negative outcomes.

According to United Nations, Gender Equality (SDG5), is not only a fundamental right, but a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #GenderEquality #Genderbias #SDG5

 

 

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST ON HEALTH BENEFITS OF OZONE LAYER PROTECTION

The ozone layer is a region of the upper atmosphere located between 15 and 35km above earth’s surface. Its function is to absorb high-energy Ultraviolet (UV) Ray’s from the sun preventing them from reaching the earth’s surface.

Over exposure to UV radiation is considered to be a health risk, causing skin and eye damage, as well as having adverse effects on the immune system. Amongst the effects resulting from exposure to Ultraviolet radiation, Melanoma, a lethal human health effect causes over 7100 deaths annually in the United States as reported by Hidaya Aliouche in an article published on News Medical and Health Sciences, accessed 19 September, 2022, <https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-Are-the-Health-Benefits-of-Protecting-the-Ozone-Layer.aspx/>

An international agreement to protect the ozone layer is expected to prevent 443 million cases of skin cancer and 63 million cataract cases for people born in the United States through the end of this century, according to new research by scientists at the National Cancer for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), ICF consulting, and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Furthermore, the European Environmental Agency stated that one of the action required globally to continue the recovery of the ozone layer is to ensure that banks of ozone-depleting substances (both in storage and contained in existing equipment) are dealt with in an environmentally-friendly manner and are replaced with climate-friendly alternatives. European Commission, Protecting the ozone layer, accessed September 19, 2022, <https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/protecting-ozone-layer_en/>

World Ozone Day was established to be marked on September 16 every year to raise awareness of the ozone layer’s depletion.

 

#HealthBenefits #OzoneLayerProtection #WorldOzoneDay #MondayHealthBurst

 

                                                                                 

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY – INEQUALITY IN THE NIGERIAN DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

A true democratic society fosters respect for all citizens, equality, inclusiveness, freedom of speech, the right to make individual choices, and to live free of fear or discrimination, but in Nigeria, there had been a sustained poor representation and the gender imbalance of women in critical areas.

The Nigerian constitution, which is regarded as the grundnorm because of its overriding effect on all other laws provides for the right to freedom from discrimination ~ Section 42 CFRN, yet there are in existence few discriminatory Nigerian laws implemented against women in our alleged democratic society.

By way of illustration, a woman police officer (not applicable to men) cannot marry without seeking permission from the Commissioner of Police, and a woman who becomes pregnant shall be discharged from the force. ~ Section 124 Police Act. What’s more, Section 55 of the Penal Code allows husbands in some parts of Nigeria to “correct” their wives as long as it does not lead to grievous bodily harm.

It is also of great concern to note that citizenship is conferred on a foreign woman married to a citizen of Nigeria (man) but the same provision is not made for a foreign man married to a Nigerian woman. Section 26 CFRN.

Equally, the discrimination is well extended in leadership. premium times reported that in the House of Representatives, out of 360 members, only 18 are women (4.61%) while in the Senate, there are 8 women out of 109 members (7.34%). Premium Times 2022, Low Number of Women In Politics, Bane of Nigeria’s Development- Minister, accessed 14 September 20222, <https:/www.premiumtimesng,com/news/more-news/528219-low-number-of-women-in-politics-bane-of-nigerias-development-minister.html/> 

A number of women have spoken up on this issue. According to Njideka Harry, President and Chief Executive Officer of Youth for Technology Foundation (YTF), if Nigerian women had the same opportunities as men, they could drive up the GDP by $13.9 billion, while Tian Wei, CCTV News, is quoted to have said, “Any society that fails to harness the energy and creativity of its women is at a huge disadvantage in the modern world.”

The reasons that could be cited for the inequality in the Nigerian democratic society can be traced to the sexual stereotype of social roles, discriminatory traditions, and cultural prejudices.

It is pertinent to note that “if they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.” according to Shirley Chrisholm, the First African-American woman elected to the US Congress.

 

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #DemocraticRights #Women’sRights #GenderStereotype #GenderBias #GenderInequality #cuturalnorms #democracy #BBN

 

 

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST ON GREENHOUSE EFFECT ON HUMAN HEALTH

Greenhouse effect is the process by which radiations from the sun are absorbed by the greenhouse gases and not reflected back into space. This insulates the surface of the earth and prevents it from freezing.

The greenhouse gases at normal level help the earth to maintain an ambient condition for our survival. However, the anthropogenic action by humans (burning of fossil fuels) has induced the amount of these greenhouse gases thereby resulting in greenhouse effect.

According to Naiyer et al., (2022), the greenhouse effect along with global warming have impacts that are adverse to humans. Short-term exposure impacts can be coped with by humans, but when it is a high long-term concentration exposure, the impact becomes detrimental.

The long-term exposure slowly affects multiple organs such as the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, central nervous system, immune system, digestive system and often the reproductive system.

Increasing the greenhouse effect gives rise to a runaway greenhouse effect which would increase the temperature of the earth to such an extent that no life will exist in the near future https://byjus.com/biology/greenhouse-effect-gases/.

Hence, the need to watch the rate at which fossil fuels are burnt and regular medical checkups for early detection of diseases resulting from exposure to Greenhouse Effects.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concern. Join us every Monday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

#GreenhouseEffect #HumanHealth #Who  #MondayHealthBurst

 

                                                                         

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY ON IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN LITERACY

True, literacy rates have generally appreciated worldwide for both males and females. Still, males are on average more literate than females. In 2020, a little over 83 percent of women in the world were literate, however, about 90 percent of men were literate.

As opposed to the misconception associated with women literacy, Literate women in fact implies that they have the ability to process information that they receive and use it in the improvement of various aspects of their society such as nutrition, health and the education of other members of their households and their society by extension.

Statistics show that Literate women are more likely to send their children, especially their girls, to school. Women who acquire literacy become more resilient economically and are more likely to be involved in the social, political and cultural life of their society and country at large.
The United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking says that Women are most vulnerable to trafficking when they are undereducated and poor. Providing education to women to help them improve life skills is bound to significantly undermine this terrible industry.
When women are provided with equal rights and equal access to education, they go on to engage in economic as well as business activities. This increases the earning power and improves our chances of winning this war against poverty.
Women literacy improves Gross domestic product. Statistics show that when 10 percent more women attend school, GDP increases by three percent on average.
Educating a woman is more than educating an individual, it is educating the world.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #Women’sLiteracy #Women’sRights #GenderStereotype #GenderBias #GenderInequality

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST ON ENDOMETRIAL CANCER

Endometrial cancer is a type of uterine cancer that affects the inner lining of the uterus.

As recorded by the World Cancer Research Fund International, endometrial cancer is the sixth most commonly occurring cancer in women and the fifteenth most common cancer overall, with four hundred and seventeen thousand new cases recorded in 2020.

Approximately 3 in 100 women will be diagnosed with uterine cancer at some point in their lives. More than 80 percent of people with uterine cancer survive for 5 years or longer after receiving the diagnosis according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

The symptoms of endometrial cancer include; vaginal bleeding after menopause, change in the length or heaviness of menstrual period, pelvic pain, and vaginal bleeding between periods or spotting.

Mayo clinic stated that doctors do not know the exact cause of endometrial cancer, but it occurs as a result of mutations in the DNA. This mutations lead to the growth of abnormal cells which unlike the healthy cells doesn’t die but accumulate to form tumor and later spread to other parts of the body.

Some of the factors known to increase the risk of having the cancer are; not bearing children, a late natural menopause ( after the age of 55), Tamoxifen- a hormone therapy, obesity, being tall, physical activity, and consumption of coffee (WCRI).

The treatment for endometrial cancer is majorly surgery to remove the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries depending on the cancer stage. Other treatment include radiation, hormone therapy and chemotherapy.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concern. Join us every Monday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

#EndometrialCancer #UNFPA #WHO #NCI #MondayHealthBurst

 

                                                             

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