Child marriage can take a girl out of school, limit her opportunities and alter the course of her future before she has had the chance to make many of her own choices. Yet, conversations about the issue often happen around girls rather than with them.
Faith Emmanuel Girls Initiative (FEGI Global) is taking a different approach this International Day of the Girl Child, putting girls at the centre of a conversation about child marriage, their rights and the importance of investing in their futures.
The organisation will bring together 100 girls aged 13 to 15 at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Jiwa, Abuja, on Friday, October 9, 2026, for an advocacy event themed “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights.”
The two-hour event, scheduled for 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., will feature a live talk-show-style session led by six carefully selected student presenters. The girls will lead conversations with their peers on the dangers of early marriage, their legal and human rights, the cost of lost potential and what meaningful investment in girls should look like.
The format is intentional. Rather than positioning girls only as beneficiaries of advocacy, FEGI Global is creating a platform for them to speak, ask questions, share their perspectives and engage other girls on issues that can directly affect their education, choices and futures.
“This is not about pity,” said Faith Emmanuel, Founder of FEGI Global. “This is about power. These girls are not waiting to be saved, they are ready to speak, and lead. Our job is to create the platform.”
The participating girls will also receive FEGI Global Girls Kits as part of the outreach.
The event reflects FEGI Global’s broader commitment to breaking down barriers that hinder the progress of girls in Nigeria. Founded in 2021 by Faith Emmanuel, the organisation works across education, mentorship, health and advocacy, with a focus on equipping girls with the knowledge, resources and support they need to transcend societal limitations.
Its programmes include the Annual Girl Child Conference, which brings girls, advocates and stakeholders together to discuss issues affecting girls; Mindset Orientation Training for girl-child advocates; the Back-to-School Rural Community Project, which supports children in rural communities with school fees; and Big Sister, which provides girls with a safe and intimate space to ask questions and seek guidance.
FEGI Global also uses the International Day of the Girl Child as an opportunity to create conversations around girls’ rights, education, protection and opportunities.
Through this year’s event, the organisation is seeking to move that conversation beyond awareness by giving girls a direct role in shaping it, ensuring that when society talks about the future of girls, girls themselves have a voice in defining what that future should look like.
The event will hold at Government Day Secondary School, Jiwa, Abuja, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, October 9, 2026.
