Maseru, Oct.12—As the Lesotho Girl Guides Association (LGGA) joined the world in celebrating International Day of the Girl Child, Nomsa George, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) Global Advocacy Champion 2026 through her campaign, “Her Voice, Her Justice”, reminds child marriage and sexual violence are not just violations of the law but violations of dignity, dreams and futures.
Miss George’s mission is to amplify the voices of girls in Lesotho and across Africa, ensuring their rights are protected and their future secured through her campaign, an initiative that confronts the harsh realities of sexual violence and exploitation faced by girls in Lesotho.
She said, this year’s theme, “End Child marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights” is a call to action that cannot be ignored saying ending child marriage means more than passing laws, it means enforcing them with zero tolerance for impunity, investing in survivor-centred services, counseling, legal aid and protection that reach every district, not just urban centers, financing education that keeps girls in school, teaching consent and equality as well as dismantling the harmful traditions that perpetuate violence.
She noted that social protection funding for survivors should be prioritized saying that survivors of sexual violence and child marriage often face economic dependence, poverty and stigma that prevent them from leaving abusive situations or accessing justice.
“Dedicated national budget allocations for gender-based violence prevention and survivor services including safe shelters, psychosocial support and child protection programs are essential to ensure that no girl is left behind because of where she lives or her financial circumstances,” she stressed.
She indicated that Lesotho must uphold its international commitments under the Maputo Protocol, Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. She highlighted that these treaties require governments to take practical legislative, financial and institutional measures to protect children against violence and exploitation. She emphasized that translating these obligations into measurable national action is not optional, it is a duty.
“We must recognize that child marriage and sexual violence are interconnected crises rooted in poverty, inequality and silence. To break this cycle, we must invest in girls as leaders, innovators and agents of change. Girls are not victims to be pitied but they are voices to be heard, rights-holders to be respected and future negotiators, policymakers and educators who will shape resilient societies,” she lamented.
Meanwhile reports show that every three seconds, somewhere in the world, a girl is forced into marriage, stripped of her childhood, denied her education and silenced in her dreams. In Lesotho, one in three girls experiences sexual violence before the age of 18 and many are further trapped by harmful norms that normalize abuse and exploitation.
International Day of the Girl Child is annually observed on October 11. It supports more opportunities for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender.
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