Wife of the Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed, has called for a redirection in recognition of the importance of training and empowering the girl child for life's challenges in line with global trends.

She said that as the nature  and scale of barrier facing girls become more complex, innovative strategies are needed to give girls an education that prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century, including putting the girl child on the same pedestal as the boy child.

According to Mrs. Ahmed, who stated this yesterday in a statement made available to The Herald, "As the world evaluates the gaps that still remain in achieving global goals for gender equality in education and defines an agenda that moves beyond Millennium Development Goals, it is critical that innovation brings about solution for improving girls' education.

"There is overwhelming evidence that secondary education in particular can be a powerful transformative force, not just for girls themselves but for the entire society.

"Girls' education is the one consistent factor that can positively influence not only the lives of girls, but virtually every desired development outcome, from reducing child and maternal mortality, to ending poverty and achieving equitable growth.

"More girls are now entering school than ever before, thanks to inspiring progress over the past two decades. The gender gap in primary school enrollment has narrowed considerably.

"However, many girls, particularly the most marginalized, continue to be deprived of this most basic right, even as enrollment rates rise, completion rates for girls lag in a large number of countries. The picture worsens as girls reach secondary education."

Mrs. Ahmed who through the office of the Wife of the Governor and her LEAH Charity Foundation, has continued to support initiatives which give voice to the girl child, therefore called on everyone from government to the international and local communities to invest in girls by renewing commitments to their education.

The international Day of the Girl Child is an annual event held on every October 11, designated by the United Nations for promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges facing them. The theme for this year's celebration is, 'Innovating for Girls' Education'.