EDITORIAL

Earlier this month, the United Nations observed International Day of the Girl Child on October 11. Aimed at “highlighting and addressing the needs and challenges girls face”, the occasion also sought to promote “girls’ empowerment and the fulfillment of their human rights”.

Here in Barbados the activities surrounding the day were much more low keyed as most people might have been unaware of the date. But as we seek now to place a spotlight more squarely on the subject of the girl child, we do so to address one major and crucial challenge that a lot of girls unfortunately face – that of sexual abuse.

Sexual abuse of minors is an evil act that must be condemned by all. Both girls and boys can be victims, but from criminal reports made public, girls especially appear to be targeted more frequently and at various stages throughout their childhood. It is clearly evident then that girls in particular need to be better protected from society’s predators.

The onus is on parents to protect their girl children. Both mothers and fathers must be vigilant at all times. Know your daughters’ friends and their families. Make sure there is agreement on what actions are appropriate for your daughter. And do not be satisfied with verbal information, investigate for yourself. Make unexpected checks. Question your daughter and make sure answers are clear. Observe her behaviour and note any changes. Never be too trusting of strangers.

In fact, one must never be too trusting of anyone. Mothers, who have given birth to their daughters have a unique role as original caretaker, as well as a former girl child, to make sure that their little ones never encounter sexual abuse. This means putting daughters before anyone else, including family and spouses. Though this is a touchy subject and may cause debate amongst some – males and females alike – the truth remains that too many cases of sexual abuse occur within the family structure and many times the father figure in a family is guilty of the transgression. Mothers therefore have the unenviable job of screening the people who interact with their daughters, while at the same time taking care not to create an environment of fear or unease that could damage relationships with others and even scar a girl’s emotional development and her attitude towards males.

Furthermore, in these present times with sexual liberation and sexual awakening occurring earlier due to a shift in societal norms, parents are now faced with protecting their daughters from other females, and even other older girls, who may attempt to abuse them sexually.

Added to these responsibilities is protecting girls, even when they are alone in public, from watchful eyes. One example that comes quickly to mind is travelling to and from school. It is understood that parents’ work limitations and financial constraints may not allow them the opportunity to supervise children getting to school, however, at the very least one must impart your daughters with the knowledge of how to protect themselves and avoid dangerous situations where possible; for instance, by keeping themselves surrounded by numbers and avoiding being separated and singled out.

In the end, girl children are precious and should be treated as such. We all need to protect and uplift them so they can go on to make powerful contributions to this society.