Parliament has called upon men in the country to up their efforts in promoting and protecting a girl child towards achieving inclusive education.

Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara sounded the appeal on Tuesday as parliament commemorated Day of the African Child in a spectacular way as female legislators dressed in different school uniforms.

“It is very important that we stand with this girl child in style as you know we are women in parliament, we are here because we went through education facilities so what we are trying to say is that stand with the girl child,” she said.

Gotani Hara added there is need for concerted efforts towards ensuring that girls in the country are uplifted like parents and guardians do with boys so that they realise their dreams.

“What we are saying is that the men out there let them promote the girl child, whilst the are promoting the boys, they have to make sure that they are also promoting the girl child,” she said.

On her part, chairperson for the parliamentary women caucus Lonnie Chijere Phiri encouraged girls in the country to work hard in school and be committed despite challenges they may face along the way.

“We are doing this just to ensure the girl child out there that as lawmakers at one point we were like them and whatever problems they are going through we went through them.

“But because we were focused and we had something that we wanted to have in our life we focused on that thing and that’s why we are here today so we just want to tell the girl child that there is good life when they remain focused in pursuing their dreams,” Chijere Phiri said.