Source: Vanguard
A group of concerned women on Sunday urged mothers to promote descent dressing from home in the girl child to curb incessant sexual harassment and rape in the society.

The women, who are the Old Girls Association of the Federal Government Girls College, Kazaure , Lagos chapter, spoke in separate interviews in Lagos.

The President of the group, Mrs Yomi Newton said that parents were responsible for the indecent dressing among the young girls because they formed their dressing pattern at their tender age.

"Lets blame parents for this development, the mothers and even the fathers buy clothes for them at a tender stage, it is the style and concept a mother grooms in a child that she grows up with," she said.

Newton, who is also a medical practitioner, says, "it is genetic; a girl-child attitude must be drawn from the mother or father's gene".

Also speaking, Mrs Grace Oloye, a pastor said that mothers had failed in laying good example for their girls by setting the pace for indecent dressing, adding that as some mothers themselves do not dress decently.

"The mothers do not dress well, and then what do you expect them to pass on to their girls? Some of them put on seductive outfits that are provocative," she said.

Oloye condemned the idea of "it is the vogue", saying God gave man the wisdom to cover nakedness because he knew man's weakness.

"There is no need to wear outfits that make one uncomfortable in the cover of flaunting God's gift, it is evil," she said.

According to a retired teacher, Mrs Roseline Onyemali, some mothers were responsible for sexual harassment when they abandon their girls with grown-up boys or house helps.

"When mothers leave their young girls at the mercy of house helps and grown up boys, it leads to issues of incest, rape and secret sexual dealings," she said.

Mrs Mujibat Bashua, a Lagos State civil servant, advised that chastity should be the guiding principle and not crazy ideas of fashion.

Also, Mrs Jumoke Araba noted that the religions and schools should create the corrective awareness to change the system.

"When we fear God, we eschew evil, modesty should be our guide," she said.

Mrs Lizzy Omojuwa-Oboh said: "the way you dress to functions speaks more about your personality which will determine the way you are addressed or treated."

She advised mothers in particular to take special interest in the upbringing of the girl child, adding, "when you train a girl child, you train a nation."

She said that a society with sexually harassed girls would not allow for moral development.

NAN

• Nigeria