Radio Miraya
2829: GIRLS TAKEOVER: Girls occupy national positions ahead of International Day of the Girl
A very good morning. Well, it's just 17 minutes past 8am. Welcome to the Miraya breakfast show. Welcome back from the new summary there. And that musical very, well, we continue with the nation's big conversations. And this is a third hour or the last hour of the Miraya breakfast show. My name is Irene Lasous. And together with Sabrina Williams, we'll be taking you all the way until 9am. Well, this morning, we have two girls in the studio with their mentor who will tell us what their vision for the future is. And as the international day of the girl child is celebrated annually on the 11th of October to recognize the rights of girls and the unique challenges that they face around the world. Well, the theme for this year is girls vision for the future. Now, plan international in collaboration with the Minister of Gender, child and social welfare will commemorate the day by conducting campaigns led by girls. And these campaigns aim to highlight the challenges girls face in South Sudan while emphasizing the importance of their rights, empowerment and also peace building efforts. Joining me today are two girls like I said and another person who will be giving us an overview of this campaign and participating in the campaign and who will be hearing more about their experiences and their vision for the future. Well, I have Gres Nene child, say hello to the listeners. Hello. And I have Vanessa Bietzmarol. Good morning. Yes, good morning. And yes, we also have another person. Please introduce yourself. Hello, my name is Mary Nene Gok. All right, that's Mary there. And you're here as the mentor of the girls and all. Okay, welcome to the program. So we'll be basically hearing more from Grace and Vanessa and Mary will be coming up shortly to just give us the epitome of the campaign. Now, starting with you Grace, tell us about yourself. Where do you go to school? Where do you come from? And how did you join the campaign? Hey, everyone. My name is Gres Nene Charles. I am a student and also a youth advisory panel member in plan international. So I get to join the campaign because I am one of their panel. And I'm also from Central Victoria State because we also have our panel members in different states. So I got to join the panel because it is an opportunity for us as young people. And I am really interested to join the journey. So I got the opportunity and I had to grab it. Okay, I'm happy to have you and to also hear more from your experience. Yes, Vanessa, tell me. Well, my name is Vanessa Bitch-Marole, a student from Clave Origin High School located in Roombaik Lake State. Oh, you came all the way from Roombaik. Yeah, nice. So tell me more. So I'm here to just embrace the challenges that are affecting us girls in South Sudan, basically Lake State. Well, to be honest, we are being affected by so many challenges. And they are not being addressed. So the government, we are inquiring for the government to take good policies and the programs that can be ever to guide our people, to take good care of us, to prioritize our education and also make sure that we have access to other necessities such as education and then protection from violence. Right. Those are some of the major challenges that girls you age or below are facing. They lack access to good education and also face domestic violence. Are there any more challenges? There are very many. Poverty is there. When girls are lacking poverty, when girls are facing poverty, it means they won't have access to education. This will hinder their way to education. And when the families don't have anything to pay as school fees, so as the government ensures that these things are ended up, I think girls will have access to education. Then they will also be free from corporal punishment. There's also allemarages. Allemarages, girls are being pressured into allemarages, resulting into becoming very young mothers, which is affecting them. Right. And have you witnessed this in Roombaic? There are very many. If you go to Lake State, you'll find very many young mothers living in poor places. They don't have basic needs. They don't have what to give the child. And they're lacking a lot of things and this is discouraging us. Most of the girls are being taken to Qatar camps and they have desires of also being in school. But what do we do? So this is why we have to create awareness such that the government and the community elders have to take good policies and programs that create awareness against girl child violence. Right. So your advocacy is on education and also protecting girls from domestic violence. Right. Yes, Grace, I would like to hear from you. What are you advocating for? I mean, you're from Central Couture State. What are some of the challenges of the girls you age or below are going through? I am advocating for youth empowerment and inclusion, because in my state, at least most of the girls are going to school. But then there is still a face challenge of empowerment. They don't know what they want for the future. They're just going to school. Some of them are not well oriented. So you find some of them. So they need mentorship programs. They need a mentorship program and then empowerment as well for them to have a clear vision or a future. Yeah, speaking about a vision, Grace, what is your vision for the future? My vision for the future, I want to one day see the girls together. Because I see the girls are like, you know, us as girls, we have this envy. So when we actually. For what? Like, for example, the issue facing girls actually in my site is, you know, most of the others are not happy for others. So I would really want to see girls pull themselves down. Pull themselves together. You see this one reading. You envy this one. You say they're supporting them. So we have to support each other. We have to wait for our turn one by one. Because we believe everyone of us is going to get, but the time frame is different. Right. And this is you just trying to be generous. I think about all the other girls, but what about yourself? Myself, one day, my vision for my future, I want to be like Irene. I want to, when they sit, for me, I've started already. I'm glad it is my first year. It is my first time joining the advisory panel. So one day, I want to be like a mentor and influencer to the girls. Right. To help them, you know. So I'm studying my journey right now. That's a motivation. Thank you so much. Yes, Vanessa. What is your vision for the future? Well, my vision for the future is to enhance the girls of our state as like state, to have a voice in many positions, like leadership, and also both at national and local levels. And also their families, they have to have voices to raise their concerns and they are to be addressed to the community. Right. Is this achievable? Do you see this happening? No. Well, to just feel what should be done differently to ensure that the girls are given back their voices. Well, the government and the community should cooperate and provide programs and policies that bring an end to violence, to early child marriage, to poverty, and then increase economic growth, and also provide support to the families financially, such that they are able to take their girls or their daughters to schools. Because today, the girls that are achieving their goals are now mentors, they are entrepreneurs, they are mothers, they are heads of the families. They are basically wearing so many hats. And political leaders. Yeah, I see that. Vanessa, you spoke about your school, where you're coming from, and the way you present your points, a very articulate, that means you are a born leader. So, what are the most significant? How do you think education can transform the lives of girls in South Stone, being that you have attained education, and you're able to come out and speak with oomph and power, and with so much enthusiasm to represent girls? How do you think education can transform girls in this country? Well, really, education can transform girls, because if it wasn't for education, I would end up being here, seated here. So, it's education that is bringing me up to stand in front of the public to express myself, and also to overcome the challenges that are facing my fellows, my fellow sisters. And also, I want to be, like, vulnerable, I would then achieve, because she's doing a lot for us. She's a very responsible woman, and we have dreams of being in such positions like her. Right, keep dreaming, girl, and the dreams are valid. So, in your school, what improvements would you like to see? In my school, I would like to see all girls being encouraged to have voices, to have courage, to stand in front of the public, because not everyone is able to stand before the public. Others do fear, but as planned international advocates for programs that enhance girls to speak, to raise their voices, so I would advise them to keep on doing that work, because I have big dreams for my school. I want all the fellow sisters to be big persons in life. Right, that's fascinating. Grace, coming to you, well, you didn't tell me where you go to school. Where do you go to school? Okay, so university standard. That means most of you are big girls above, let's say, 17 years old, right? So, how do you think education can transform the lives of girls in this country? Well, education can transform our lives in the sense of, you know, knowledge is power. So, when you have enough knowledge about something, you can stand up for everything. You can be very confident in what you speak. So, education can build a capacity, you know? It just makes you so confident. No one will come to you and be like, hey, you don't know this, you'll be like, I know, because, yeah, you can defend yourself. And you feel so empowered, you feel so confident, it just takes your confidence in another level, because no one will look down to you and be like, you don't know anything. So, at the university, what would you like to be transformed or changed for better? Well, what I would like to see are in the universities is, you know, or girls should also take their lead, you know? They should not be like, no, I cannot. So, girls are still taking the back seat at the university? Sometimes, you know, it's still there that people be like, you know, I cannot do this because of this. Because don't believe in themselves. Yeah, people come from different locations. You have the idea, but you're not, you know, ready to speak out for me. So, okay, so you would like to see girls come out more often. All right, let's listen to the news headlines. We'll be right back. And we continue with the nation's big conversations. I'm happy to have girls in the studio with me. And we are speaking about the International Day of the Girl Child that is celebrated annually. And this year, it is on the 11th of October. That means tomorrow. So, the girls are in the studio speaking ahead of the day. And the theme for this year is girl's vision for the future. I'm happy to have Grace Nanny Charles and Vanessa Bierchmarole. And we have been speaking about what their aspirations are and their vision for the future. And also some of the significant barriers that are affecting girls and their progress in the country. Well, as we continue, Vanessa, what role do you believe girls can play in building peace and also shaping the future of this country? What contributions do you think the girls can play in? Well, I'm sure girls are really good enough to think critically, because as they advise the young ones behind them, I'm sure they are making sure that they are mentoring those girls to become future leaders, to become very important people in the future, and also many more. Yeah, and that can be seen in the families. If the girl is a fast born, she has to cook for her, she has to sing, she has to wash for them. So, she's responsible from the household. Yes, Grace, just tell us more about the campaign before I give Mary the opportunity to tell us more about it. The campaign is basically, we are trying to go to the grassroots, and then we actually started by doing an assessment, which we went to schools. We had one one one to talk a girls session. We talked with the girls. The campaign is actually bringing different ideas. So, we don't want to assume the challenges of the girls. We want to go to the girls. We want to talk to them, and then we managed to do in Duba here, and then we also did a lot of other states, and then it's actually also can be a mentoring program. The girls are seeing us, the young ones, coming to them, and then them feeling comfortable talking to us. So, it's like changing the generational thing. Most of the time, they'll be like, "We always see all the old people coming to us," and now it is the younger. So, it's relatable when you speak to them. It is very relatable. It is challenging, and I also feel like I also put myself into the issue, but like what if someone is the one asking me this question, how is it going to be? Would I be comfortable responding? Yes, so the campaign is very wide. It's not only about promoting education, it's also about personal engagement and mentoring for girls. Thank you so much for making our time to speak to us. So, let's hear from Mary. What activities do you have in store for tomorrow, or for the rest of the campaign? Yes, thank you very much. Plan International has taken this to another level in that during the period of the International Day of the Girl Child, there are quite activities that girls do to ensure that they have their confidence, they are being inspired. One of the activities is the radio talk show that we are currently doing now, and then we had the round table discussion yesterday with the government officials, the top government officials. Today also we are having a sport where the girls are going to play footballs to show that, yeah. Even one main kind of week I also do, yeah, I'm also going to have Marathon today. Where is it happening? It's going to happen in Bullock, a playground. Is it open to the public? Yes, it's open to the public, yeah. Are you participating? Yeah, in the hospital. Yeah, okay, yeah, and we are also taking over offices, the top offices. This is actually to ensure that the girls can get inspired and they can walk towards like, okay, one day I want to be the president of this nation. Of course, this starts now and it starts with empowering. So, Plan International has drawn all girls from all the states that will be participating in this particular activity. The girls' takeover is a call for action for social and political shame to tear down the barriers of discrimination and prejudice that contribute to whole girls' back. So, we do this to ensure that the government stand up for the girls. For the past experience we had in the take office, girls at the moment, they are doing very well, they are inspired, they go back and they share their experiences after taking, you know, offices. They feel, okay, this is something really good, okay, I have to work hard. I need to be like Irish, I need to be like the Bandengai, like, today one of our girls is taking over the seat of the Bandengai. So, she's going to be the big woman in the office and Tabaru just have to sit there and mentor her. So, this is really a very good experience, especially the girls are really now saying, yeah, we were left behind, but at the moment we have opened our eyes. Or maybe they even realized that these things are actually doable. They are doable, yes, if I can take over the vice president seat and then I'm capable of doing anything at my age, I'm just 17, I'm 16, and I'm sitting right there, I'm doing the meetings. So, we're telling them you can't even be general of these countries in some years ago. That's very possible. All right, thank you so much. And as we conclude, I would like to hear from Vanessa, if you could send a message to the leaders in this country, what changes would you ask for to support girls' rights and also empowerment? Okay, I'll ask the leaders to put their attention in the problems that girls faced in our community, because as soon as they put an end to these problems, I'm sure we will have a better nation as also done, because we can be leaders of tomorrow. Ladies can also lead, just like other ladies that are in the parliament, they are doing best of their work. Right, so those problems being they are trying to address them, but some of them are not being managed. And this is why we are still raising our voices, because we have a right to education, a right to food, a right to be protected from child marriage, and also a right to be protected from discrimination. Right, thank you, Grace. Sorry, thank you, Vanessa. Yes, Grace, what would your message be? For the government, my message to the government is, let them continue to support the girls, because the girls have a very bright future, they're already taking offices, they're already dreaming, so they have to be there in order to support their dream, whatever it is, like they have great ideas, so they should be willing to listen to ideas, like we should not be like, "Oh, this is a child, this is a girl, her idea would not be important, we should give the opportunity to actually listen to it for a minute," and it can actually be transforming, and actually I believe a young person can advise a big person, every one of us has the wisdom, so we should just believe in the girls. Right, thank you so much, Grace, Vanessa. Mary, what's your last remark? My last remark is that actually the challenges the girls are facing, we are paying little attention to them because of our culture perception, but we also need to take a lead as government, as humanitarian, to ensure to uproot the root causes of the gender inequality in our society. Government needs to put in efforts, they need to put in budgets, to ensure girls actually, the challenges facing girls are really looked into. Yes, the policy makers, the implementers, they really all need to put their hands together to ensure they look into this. Their community leaders need to be actively engaged because this is where the root cause is. You find girls who are empowered, they are being demoralized in a way that if you outspoken, you are being termed as something. Okay, so, no, they memorize, she's not a white material because she can't stand out for herself, but to be honest, they educate women ever respectful. It's only that in the society where we are in, if they find someone is outspoken, they will tell them that person has, you know, she's not of their match. That means also we also need to empower engaged men and boys because if we empower women only and we live behind men, we still have the challenge because if you find a weak man handling a woman who is in power becomes a challenge and, you know, the circle continues for us to break this cycle. They mean also. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mary, Vanessa and Grace, I do appreciate your time and keep doing what you're doing. Your girls are doing great. [BLANK_AUDIO]