WUNRN
African
Women’s Day
Addressing
Violence and Discrimination against Women and Girls in Nigeria is Urgent
Geneva-Lagos,
Human rights violations are a global
phenomenon. However, as a result of long standing discriminatory practices
against women and the girl child and the non recognition of their rights as
human rights, much remains to be done to eliminate laws and customs that
violate their most fundamental human rights in
As a state party to the Protocol to
the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on Women’s Rights in Africa
(Maputo Protocol) and the United Nations Convention on Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Nigeria must adopt specific and
comprehensive legislation protecting women and girls from violence, which
should encompass preventive, protective, criminal, compensatory and
rehabilitative measures. Moreover, pursuant to the Maputo Protocol and CEDAW,
OMCT and Media Rights Agenda are
particularly appalled by allegations of sexual violence perpetrated against
women by state agents. Nigerian prisons reportedly have a high number of
HIV-positive and pregnant women, some of whom have allegedly been raped while
in police custody and may have become pregnant or infected as a result of the
rape.
Moreover, it has been reported that
sexual violence by state agents also occurs outside of custodial settings. For
instance, Ms. Queen Okoye was allegedly raped by three policemen from the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, of the Area ‘G’
Command, Ogba,
OMCT and Media Rights Agenda call on
the Nigerian authorities to set up an independent commission to thoroughly
investigate into all allegations of sexual abuse at the hands of state
officials, to bring those responsible to justice, to grant victims adequate
compensation and access to free medical, psychological and social
rehabilitation. In cases of pregnancy resulting from rape, women victims should
be allowed to resort to safe abortion if they so wish.
Moreover, Nigerian parliamentarians
should immediately address gender-based violence, by adopting the necessary
laws, by granting the necessary financial resources for the implementation of
preventive measures (including training of law enforcement, judicial, health
and social service personnel and awareness-raising campaigns), access to legal
assistance and shelters, and by establishing qualified, independent and
well-resourced institutions to receive and handle complaints in a
gender-sensitive manner.
Contacts:
OMCT: Mariana Duarte, Violence against
Women Coordinator, md@omct.org
Media
Rights Agenda: Joseph
Izibili, Programme Officer, joseph@mediarightsagenda.org
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.