Author: Rita Kukah

  “We should be respectful, but we must also have the courage to stop harmful practices that impoverish girls, women and their communities.” – Graca Machel, Women and Children’s Rights Activist. By Rita Diwah Kukah Globally speaking, early marriage is a widespread practice. Without doubt, this practice has been going on for a very long time. Child-marriage is a formal or informal union between a minor (usually under the age of 18) and an adult or another minor. Although the age of marriage is typically 18, in some countries, the marriageable age could be younger or older. Even where 18…

Read More

Sociological studies have linked street begging with poverty, crime and criminality. It is disturbing that the current Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria provides a leeway for street-kids to roam about in search of food handouts. Popularly known as Almajiri – a Hausa word derived from the Islamic word, “Al-Muhajirun,” this is a minor who migrates from his or her parent’s house in search of Islamic knowledge. The system is traced back to the migration of the Prophet of Islam from Mecca to Medina. Although well intentioned, the system exposes an Almajiri, a boy or Almajira, a girl to the elements…

Read More

“Women are still treated as secondary issues. It is still far too easy and accepted for leaders to ignore the uncomfortable truths. Women, we know, are the first to be affected by war, and the last to be taken into account when it ends.” Angelina Jolie. Ideally, men and women are suppose to enjoy equal rights. However, it is unfortunate that in Nigeria today, it is not the case. For example, in 2020, the population of Nigerian women was approximately 101.67 million while that of men was 104.47 million. What that means is that women constitute almost half of Nigera’s…

Read More