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| Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos State Governor. |
There must be a renewed
commitment towards eliminating health impediments that can ruin the future of
the girl-child and limit her productivity, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide
Sanwo-Olu, has charged.
Sanwo-Olu said all
hands must be on deck in creating hygienic conditions that would stem the
vulnerability of girls to infectious diseases, noting that all levels of
government and the civil society had a responsibility to proffer solution to
challenges that could restrict abilities of womenfolk.
This was the crux of
the keynote address by the Lagos Governor at a breakfast session held on
Thursday with the theme: “Toilets and Future”, jointly organised by RB,
Water.org and Global Citizen in the ongoing 74th Session of the United Nations
General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.
Sanwo-Olu shared the
stage as chief guest with former Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, during
the session that focused on access to Clean Water and Sanitation - the Item 6
of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In his speech titled:
“Are We Washing Our Hands-off Girls’ Future? Toilets Will Transform the World”,
Sanwo-Olu pointed out that lack of access to clean water and sanitation would
limit the extent to which women and girls could live their lives and restrict
their rights to take part in activities which opposite gender would do without
hindrance.
He said: “It is bad
enough when sections of a population are cut off from clean water and
sanitation. It is as many times worse if the affected demography is women and
girls. The harsh burden of a lack of sanitation amenities falls on them on
account of one thing: menstrual hygiene.
“Inability to maintain
adequate menstrual hygiene and lack of access to clean toilets severely limits
the extent to which women and girls are able to live their lives and take
unrestricted part in activities that men and boys can take for granted.
“For girls, it results
in increased level of absenteeism from school, thereby widening an already
unacceptable education disparity in societies where many parents still have to
be convinced to see the value of educating their girls and young women.”
The Governor said if
there were no usable sanitation facilities in schools, girls would more likely
be compelled to stay away from learning in a period between three to five days
monthly, adding that same situation would occur if sanitation facilities were
provided but deemed insufficiently safe for the use by girls.
Sanwo-Olu said there
must be radical change in the provision of sanitation facilities for girls,
emphasizing that women must have toilets specifically built for their hygienic
comfort. He said the era of providing generic sanitation facilities in public
places without considering their comfort for girls must end.
He said: “A school
toilet facility designed by girls and women for girls and women would be
radically different from one designed by men who presume to imagine what women
require. If we fail to redress this, we are, in essence, undermining the future
of many of our girls, and by extension, our own future as well.
“It is in our
collective interest to see toilet in a new light – as a priority in the
infrastructure and development agenda of any truly progressive government.
Clean toilet is not just a toilet; it is one of the building blocks of a better
tomorrow for all of us.”
Actions being taken in
addressing the challenges, Sanwo-Olu said, must not exclude the input and
participation of women and girls, stressing that the problem could only be
truly solved if the affected gender was allowed to partake in policy and
decision-making discussion.
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He said he was not
unaware of the persistent pressure on resources in Lagos, especially land and
water, occasioned by the pace of population growth.
As Governor, Sanwo-Olu
said increasing access to clean water and sanitation remained a defining line
of action for which his government remained fully committed to creating
sustainable solutions in the next four years.
On his part, the former
Australian PM applauded the Nigerian government in taking the lead to address
the global issue, saying leaders across the world must rise up for the
girl-child to save the world of imminent danger.
Recalling his personal
conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue, Mr. Rudd said: “It
is clear that Nigerian government is evidently interested in addressing the
SDG’s 6 and coming here this morning to meet the Lagos State Governor speak
about what he is doing at the sub-national level further confirms that Nigeria
is serious about securing the future of the girl-child.”
The ex-Australian
leader, however, said low taxes and reducing vulnerability of low-income
earners from exploitation remained the key elements leaders needed to consider
if the world was serious at achieving SDGs.
Other speakers at the
session included founder and Chief Executive Officer of Water.org, Gary White;
Head of Water Resources at the World Bank, Karin Krchnak and Special Adviser to
Lagos State Governor on SGDs, Mrs. Solape Hammond.
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