WINDHOE, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Chairperson of the Nigerian Senate Committee on women Affairs, Binta Masi Garba told a gathering at the international women conference in African in Windhoek on Thursday that over 30 million young girls in the continent face the danger of genital mutilation.

She also said African children continue to be exposed to poverty, violence and lack of opportunities.

"One in six children born in sub-Saharan Africa do not reach their 5th birthday as a result of hunger and infant diseases.

"In May 2014 Africa launched a campaign to end child marriages and also attempts have been made to stop harmful practices such as female genital mutilation, yet one in three girls in low and middle income countries in Africa are married by the age of 8. Over 30 million girls in Africa are in danger of going through genital mutilation," Garba said.

Speaking at the ongoing Women in Africa conference Garba said Africa children and women still face severe adversities from a historical past of colonialism which was characterised by oppression of the natives of the continent.

"Many children growing up in Africa face double adversities of extreme poverty and violence," Garba said.

Garba added that out of the 57 million children that are out of school because of different difficulties 30 million of those are from Sub Saharan Africa.

Garba called on African Governments to do more to protect the girls through adapting of legislation that protects them against harmful and primitive practices in the continent. Enditem

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