Delta Women: Volunteers Speak: IWD 2013

Blogging for Nigeria! The End: Empower? Why not?

To empower, implies, to inculcate a sense of power, a sense of independence and a sense of confidence consequent to the endowed ability of honing the inherent proclivity to stand on one’s own feet.

There is plenty of talk, yes, that women are empowered enough. “We have women in politics.” “Women in Movies!” “Women in Medicine!” “Women in sports.... Women in Space, Even!” But that’s not enough, isn’t it? While these wonderfully enterprising and inspirational women are out there blazing trails, one cannot ignore the plight of several women who still struggle on a day-to-day basis, and something as simple as empowerment eludes them.

Women have an immense and incomparable potential to contribute to economic growth, prosperity and societal evolution. Gender-based violence of any kind, affects women globally, and does not just destroy lives, but actually, winds up breaking the very backbone of society, depriving the world of the talent it urgently needs. Women are, doubtless, agents of change. The innate penchant for being able to manage a household within the confines of a shoestring budget, whipping up a meal despite being desperately in demand from all quarters of a household, keeping a whole house together- women have the ability to do all of this and more. Women can, and are, the champions of a successful society, and the forerunners for global order and peace. Society cannot successfully tackle the challenges that confront it on every front- be it the environment, security, economics, development, and more, if women are not engaged at every level of society.

So why is empowerment the means to do it? In sum, circumscribing women’s participation and leaving a large part of the potential they possess, insultingly untapped, a lot of setbacks come from actually keeping women from participation on equal footing. Women can, and do make a difference. Give them a chance. 

Blogging for Nigeria! Post 6: HOW HAVE NIGERIAN AUTHORITIES RESPONDED WHEN VIOLENT AGAINST WOMEN ISSUES WERE REPORTED TO THEM?

"Violence against women both violates and impairs or nullifies the enjoyment by women of their human rights and fundamental freedoms... In all societies, to a greater or lesser degree, women and girls are subjected to physical, sexual and psychological abuse that cuts across lines of income, class and culture."

—Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, paragraph 112

Violence can be defined as an exercise of physical force usually done with the intention to hurt emotionally or physically, destroy and inflict injuries on the victim. Anyone can be a victim of violence but for the purpose of this discussion, the focus is on Violence against Women (VAW) and a look at the ways the Nigerian authorities have responded. Unfortunately, the statistics of such cases and the consequences of violence such as death or permanent body impairments, in addition to the fact that violence against anyone is an act of injustice to any human; has led to a wide interest and advocacy for a reduction in these cases of violence and legislative punitive measures to punish offenders.

According to Heise (2004) Violence against women come in various stages in their lives,

• Prenatal Stage - Prenatal sex selection, battering during pregnancy, coerced pregnancy.
• Infancy – Female infanticide, emotional and physical abuse, differential access to food and medical care.
• Childhood – Genital cutting, incest and sexual abuse, differential access to food and medical care.
• Adolescence- Dating and courtship violence, economically coerced sex, sexual abuse in the workplace, rape, sexual harassment, forced prostitution.
• Reproductive- Abuse of women by intimate partners, marital rape, dowry abuse and murders, partner homicide, psychological abuse, sexual abuse in the workplace, sexual harassment , rape, abuse of women with disabilities.
• Old age- Abuse of widows, elder abuse (which affects mostly women).

The issue of the advancement of women's rights has concerned the United Nations since the Organization's founding. Yet the alarming global dimensions of female-targeted violence were not explicitly acknowledged by the international community until December 1993, when the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Prior to this time, most Governments tended to regard violence against women largely as a private matter between individuals, and not as a pervasive human rights problem requiring State intervention. In view of the alarming growth in the number of cases of violence against women throughout the world, the Commission on Human Rights adopted resolution 1994/45 of 4 March 1994, in which it decided to appoint the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, including its causes and consequences. As a result of these steps, the problem of violence against women has been drawing increasing political attention (http://www.un.org/rights/ , 2011).

One of several key international groups that have sought to improve the rights of a woman is the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women – CEDAW. CEDAW provides a practical blueprint for each country to achieve progress for women and girls. Providing opportunities for women and girls to learn, earn and participate in public decision-making helps reduce violence, alleviate poverty, build democracies and strengthen economies (http://www.cedaw2011.org). 

The Nigerian government ratification of Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women in 1985 should have theoretically implied that it is bound to fulfil all obligations stated in Article 2 -: States Parties condemn discrimination against women in its forms, agree to pursue by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination against women and to this end,, undertake: a. to embody the principle of the equality of men and women in their national constitutions or other appropriate legislation if not yet incorporated therein and to ensure, through law and other appropriate means, the practical realization of this principle; b. to adopt appropriate legislative and other measures, including sanctions where appropriate, prohibiting all discrimination against women; c. to establish legal protection of the rights of women on an equal basis with men and to ensure through competent national tribunals and other public institutions the effective protection of women against any act of discrimination; d. to refrain from engaging in any act or practice of discrimination against women and to ensure that public authorities and institutions shall act in conformity with this obligation; e. to take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women by any person, organization or enterprise; f. to take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute discrimination against women. g to repeal all national penal provisions which constitute discrimination against women. 

 Nonetheless, in practice this unfortunately is not the case as CEDAW has raised the concern since 2008, that the Nigerian government is not carrying out its obligations as required. By extension of this abnormality, the weak state of women’s rights in Nigeria has been attributed to the non – domestication of and non – implementation of CEDAW.

Amongst other notable efforts, with the support from the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Nigerian women launched campaign against gender violence. The program included legal and social services for victims and their families, sensitivity training for law enforcement and government officials and community based education activities aimed particularly at young people. This project was launched IN 1998 by UNIFEM and the Nigerian non – governmental Women’s Centre for Peace and Development, named; Social Advocacy Against Violence Against Women (SAAVAW) with funds from UNIFEM’s Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence Against Women.

With reference to  CEDAW’ s  report in 2008, the following issues were highlighted , this was in  relation to how successful the government has been at incorporating key articles of the convention. This is captured against and in relation to violence against women.

Articles 3-4

Most of the socio- economic, legal, and political frameworks needed for the protection and promotion of women’s rights have not been effectively implemented. In early 2007, the National Assembly rejected the Bill for the domestication of CEDAW, which stands as the acid test for gender equality in Nigeria. This has put on hold the process of integrating CEDAW Convention as an integral part of the criminal justice and legal administrative system in Nigeria.   

Article 5

Gender stereotypes continued to be reinforced in Nigeria as series of the agents of socialisation such as the family, schools, churches, mosques, and the media have become custodians as well as disseminators of gender roles, stereotypes, prejudices and discriminatory cultures. Girls and boys grow up in Nigerian society to accept male superiority over female and the patriarchal structure has become unquestionable phenomenon. The Teachers, Religious Leaders, Parents, Police Officers and Artistes in Nigeria usually work to promote obnoxious customary beliefs and practices that violate the rights of women. Consequently, customary practices such as female genital mutilation, preference for male-child, and widowhood rites are still prevalent in most parts of Nigeria.  Gender stereotypes in Nigeria are further reinforced by lack of national legislations aimed at disabusing the mind of people of such stereotypes as well as specify the punishment for offenders.

Article 6

Trafficking and exploitation of women and children in Nigeria still go on because the Government only focus on the legal regulation and established an agency National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) to check the syndrome while the remote causes of trafficking and exploitation such as poverty, unemployment, Illiteracy, are yet to be seen as important indicators, and yet to be addressed.

Considering that this report was produced in 2008, the next question arises; have there been positive improvements or changes since then? Unfortunately this is not the case because a very recent incident in 2011 has come to reveal. In October 2011, a very worrying event and the most recent case of VAW occurred. A young female university student was gang raped. This rape incident was video taped. Typical of such events there was a widespread clamour for justice by several gender and human rights organisation, persuading the government and the legislative to take decisive actions and bring the offenders to the books.

As gathered from Daily Trust – National Newspaper, a meeting was held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by key organisations and stakeholders to further discuss the issue of sexual violence as a result of this event and the disturbing and unsatisfactory manner in which the government and key authorities handled the act. The meeting was finalised with action plans to set up a task force that would create a secure avenue where cases of sexual violence can be reported without fear of stigmatisation or persecution. They also decided to develop a paper on sexual violence, which would engage with and sensitise lawmakers on the need to pass the Violence against Persons (VAPP) bill pending at the National Assembly.

As the saying goes “it’s a man’s world”, but I would have to note that there would be no man, if there was no woman”. Therefore there should be a critical reflection and social change in the country with regards to the importance of ensuring and appreciating that a woman’s safety and well-being amongst other important human necessities, is of primary concern to the Nigerian authorities.

In summary, although I appreciate that Violence against Women has witnessed a reduction over the years, as the advocacies have increased and more women have become more educated and financially empowered, hence are able to speak out (although it is still the case that there are some women who are economically empowered, yet experiencing violence in their relationships or workplace, and suffering silently as a result of the fear of social stigmatization). In addition, it is my opinion that Nigerian authorities have been more rhetorical than positively active towards ensuring that the right laws and legislatures are in existence to curb, correct and compensate cases of VAW Although, International bodies, Women organizations and non – governmental organizations, continue with passion and relentless spirits to direct and influence positive changes, their efforts over the years have witnessed minimal success and the issues still remain – weak laws and legislature to punish offenders and protect the victims, a closed system whereby victims are scared of the consequences of reporting because they would be socially stigmatized and abandoned, the measure of the violence they experience may increase as a result of their attempt to report these cases.  The way forward at the end, I suggest would be … more pressure, more advocacies, creating a whistle blowing system or organization where victims or witnesses can report to without the fear of being bullied or socially reprimanded, a more proactive government and less violence. Please share your opinions and suggestions!

Blogging for Nigeria! Post 5: Too early to be Pregnant!

In 2009, the UN estimated that as many as 53,000 women in Nigeria pass on annually, owing to pregnancy-related illnesses. The frightening rate, sadly, has not come down. Nigeria is a statistic for the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world, and conjecture and research show that this occurs mostly due to the unholy and heady mix of poverty, poor health care services and a culture that keeps discussions on sex away from the ambit of acceptable conversation.

A large part of Nigeria struggles from poor development. As is the case in any social setting where the economy is frugal at best, poverty is the perfect backdrop that sets the ball of crime rolling. Nigeria is no different. A situation set in poverty and fraught with economic problems is a hotbed for crime, and naturally, therefore, there is no element of surprise in that rape is a highly perpetrated crime. In addition to this, there is also the fact that a lot of girl children and teenage girls are forced into motherhood simply because no one tells them what sex is.

That is where the first mistake lies. Sex cannot, and is not to be construed as a taboo topic. In a globally advanced setting, nothing can be brushed aside lightly as unfit for discussion.

The advent of teenage pregnancy sets a cycle in motion. Many a girl who is pregnant at such a young age, is obviously caught off guard, and knows precious little about how vital it is to keep her life safe, and to keep her health in the right condition. They do not know how significant pre and ante-natal care is for their own good health and well being.

Doubtless, teenagers having babies in Nigeria perpetuates a cycle of poverty and exposes both, the mother and the child to greater health risks.  The very fact that society has ignored the problem is what has allowed the thriving of this unholy practice.  Nigerian culture, forbids teenage pregnancy, but, the forbidding nature is so strict that even discussions and even conversations about sex are forbidden.

When DeltaWomen worked on the issue with girls on field, the youngest was 13. It is appalling that this situation is still allowed to burgeon, without as much as any care for the future, and the implications that it would have on the girls themselves, and on society. The urgent need is information, action and awareness. Girls will never know they have rights until someone tells them, and teaches them what sex implies. Girls will never have help unless there is some mode of health care that safeguards their health and puts them on a healthy track.

Blogging for Nigeria! Post 4: Female Genital Mutilation

Getting to know Female Genitalia Mutilation and Cutting

22h25, Monday, February 06th, 2012. A baby girl just took her first deep breath into this world. She will probably grow up to a healthy life and a prominent career. She will share many smiles, love and be loved. As we think of her, our mind is flooded with opportunities and probabilities. She is presumed to be safe, protected by her family in order to reach up to her maximum potential. Sadly, in some cases, presumptions are not to be met.

All societies have common rules of behavior, may them be related to gender, age, social status and so on. A shared grounding facilitates the community to live together and further, it gives its citizens a sense of belonging.  Though, some of those norms of conduct might be harmful on the people that society is trying to protect or beneficiate in the first place (i.e.: son preference, dowry, child marriage). Such traditional practices, in spite of the detriment on human life, go beyond generations and even, in some cases, grow stronger in today’s world.

Understanding the problem

For decades, the international community has been fighting one of these traditional practices putting at risk the life (or its quality) of that baby girl born only a few minutes ago. Female Genitalia Mutilation (FGM) is the partial or total removal of female genitalia. Although the World Health Organization (WHO) has established four types of FGM, cutting or any other injury caused for non-medical reasons are also considered as such.

FGM is commonly performed by a traditional practitioner who may use unhygienic instruments (such as sharp pieces of glass) and without anesthesia. The WHO has also recovered data where health care facilities are involved as well as qualified health personal (18% of all FGM). An approximate of 140 million girls and women are currently living with the consequences of FGM (WHO website).

According to the “Joint WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA Statement (on FGM)”, 1997, there are up to five different reasons for this practice to continue (see table on the side).  

Most girls between the ages of 4 to 12 undergo FGM; although in some cultures, it may be practice on newborns or as late as before marriage.

FGM has been linked to increased complications in childbirth and maternal deaths. Other health implications include cysts and abscesses, tetanus, severe pain, hemorrhage, infection, infertility, urinary incontinence, and psychological and sexual problems.

The origins of FGM rest unclear. This phenomenon reproduces around the globe. Commonly practiced in Africa (in 28 countries), Asia and the Middle East, it has spread around immigrants in the Americas and Europe. Some historians argue that it started in Egypt and the Nile Valley (Pietro Bembo). However, it has not been entirely proved. When it comes to FGM, specialists suggest that the practice is easily copied among neighboring communities, making difficult to track down its origins.

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) published a report (2010) that holds that 10 of the 27 African countries under study have no specific national law against FGM in any form. According to the Desert Flower Foundation, countries, such as Liberia, Mali and Mauretania, where the incidence is higher (50%, 91% and 71% respectively) do not have any regulation on FGM. However, legal implementation has not discouraged its practice. The 2005 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS)’s results show that 96% of ever-married women (between the ages of 15-49) had been circumcised. Out of this 96%, the survey exhibits, 58% women perceive FGM as rational and 82% of them agreed on the continuation of this practice. (See, 2009, The Population Council report: “Toward FGM-Free Villages in Egypt”.)

Estimations state that 66000 women with FGM were living in England and Wales in 2001. As this statics were sought to grow, further legislation and education programs have taken place (to prevent future children to undergo this practice). (See, 2009, London Safeguarding Children Board report: “London FGM Resource Pack”)

Human rights violations

Up to this point, it is clear that FGM affects women, girls and non-born children worldwide. The United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA) has stated that FGM endangers the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially concerning the following goals:

• Eradicating poverty.- poverty is not only defined as income resources; it also includes: lack of opportunity and depravation of fundamental rights by the violation of a person’s integrity, both physical and psychological.
• Achieving universal primary education.- education might be compromised by the consequences of FGM (lack of attention and concentration) determining a large number of drop outs due to poor performance.
• Achieving gender equality.- this one is the core concern on the international community and women groups. Discrimination in any way should be banned from social interaction. Further, women represent the 50% of the population. (According to the CIA Factbook, (est. 2012), there is a 1.01 male/female correlation of the total population, at birth the ratio is 1.07 male/female.)
  • • • Leaving them out of the equation for development would be (as it is) a gigantic mistake. The consequences that FGM have on them diminish their self beings as individuals and as a collective power.
• Reducing child mortality.- evidence shows that neonatal death occurs during childbirth as a consequence of FGM. Also, a number of female infants, children, and adolescents do not survive the practice.
• Improving maternal health.- FGM makes childbirth excruciatingly painful and also extremely dangerous (among others, it prolongs labour, obstructs the birth canal, and often causes perianal tears).
• Combating HIV/AIDS.- there is a higher vulnerability to HIV/AIDS among girls who have undergone the procedure because of bleeding and the use of shared and non sterilised instruments.

As for human rights violations, FGM attempts against the right to life, health, integrity, sexuality, decision (free will), non-discrimination, and gender equality, to name the most obvious. The United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (A/RES/48/104; 1993; Art. 4) picked up what was earlier stated by the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA): “[Nations] should not invoke any custom, tradition, or religious consideration to avoid their obligation to eliminate violence against women, and that they must exhibit due diligence in investigating and imposing penalties for violence and establishing effective protective measures.”

The future

I have had several talks with women around the globe about this subject. I have shown them the stories I have come up with, the data and the estimations. They all agree on the fact that this practice is terrible, inhuman and should be stopped. None of the women I have talked with have undergone any type of FGM and they all remain skeptical about its end. Among the stories told on the news, foundations and NGO’s, most women decided to stop FGM with them by not forcing their children to go through the same experience; some of them have started a revolution on immigration policies when asking for asylum in a third country either to escape from FGM or to prevent it from their children. Nonetheless, there are several women who had to deal with the consequences (both physical and psychological) of the procedure and yet considered (and even subjected) it for their daughters.

In my opinion, the work still to be done in this ground is large and ad-hoc. The organizations involved on the eradication of this practice have to tailor-suit their prevention programs to the local’s culture. The aim: to break the community’s mind-set about FGM. The transformation will most likely occur after that. As an example, take the women in the village of Pata, Senegal where teenage mothers from 69 communities in Kolda announced their decision to stop cutting and do not allow their children to endure this tradition. This is a very promising path considering that in this country, 88% of women are subjected to this practice in rural areas. (In urban areas, the percentage drops to 20%, according to the UNICEF).

By Katherine R Vasquez Tarazona

Blogging for Nigeria! Post 2 Unsafe Abortions

Although the substance of this article is neither to deal with the propriety of abortion, nor as to whether it has any sanction in religion or morality, the aforesaid story is a necessary introduction to the reality that surrounds us. The fact that abortion is outlawed on certain grounds while permitted on certain others warrants that there must be some modality of regulation on the manner and the basis on which it is carried out. Owing to the fact that certain grounds do not fulfil the criteria of becoming the basis on which an abortion may be carried out. There are plenty of instances wherein women seek recourse to unsafe and illegal methods of abortion. The end result is hardly anything to appreciate.

In the words of a renowned member of the medical profession based out of Nigeria who wishes to remain anonymous, an abortion in medical speak is called a termination or “planned miscarriage”. “Abortion is understood to be the Healthcare Professional used to describe the premature conclusion of a pregnancy whether planned or of natural causes… before it can be called a miscarriage.” He says. An unsafe abortion, as the very same doctor puts it, refers to “An abortion done by unskilled persons including the lady herself, or done by Professionals with insufficient experience or skill, or done by persons with skill but poor after care, or done to people who have additional risks like very late twins or may be susceptible due to other medical conditions in which infection or blood loss would be poorly tolerated.” In the doctor’s opinion, usually young girls with little access to money or other means coupled with the ignorance of the avoidable dangers of the procedure fall victim to the unsafe abortions in order to cut costs.

The consequences are plenty:

·         Death

·         Infection

·         Anaemia from blood loss

·         Damage to Bowel Bladder  and reproductive organs           

·         Difficulty in getting pregnant or carrying pregnancy neck of womb called cervix may be damaged           

·         Chronic pain from botched procedures including incomplete termination in which half of the fetus is left behind

·         Psychological issues of regret, guilt and depression

In Nigeria, abortion, as the law stands, is permissible on limited grounds which are enumerated as below:

Basis	Status under Law
To save the life of the woman	Allowed
To preserve mental health	Allowed
In cases of conception being a consequence of rape	No
In cases of foetal ill-health, impairment or disability	No
Economic and Social considerations	No
On request by the woman herself	No
Familial pressure	No

Evaluating the statistical side, there is plenty of evidence that suggest that women rely on unsafe methods of abortion in a bid to side-step the law, and to avail a series of back-alley mechanisms to bring their pregnancies to an abrupt halt. From the statistical resource pool collected by  AllAfrica.com, “From statistics, an estimated 46 million pregnancies worldwide end in induced abortions each year and 20 million of these are unsafe. About 13 per cent of pregnancy related deaths have been attributed to unsafe abortions and 80,000 deaths annually.”

The legal system governing abortion in Nigeria predominantly comprises two different laws. In the generally Muslim states in the North, the Penal Code, Law No. 18 of 1959 is in force. In the south, which is largely Christian, the Criminal Code of 1916 is in effect. Although both codes prohibit abortion, the differences in the wording of the Codes, as well as in their  interpretation, that have resulted in two slightly different treatments of the offence of abortion.

In general under the Penal Code, an abortion may be legally performed only to save the life of the pregnant woman. Save for this one explicit permission, any person who voluntarily causes a woman with a child to miscarry, can be subjected to a penalty that could range up to fourteen years’ imprisonment with, or without the payment of a fine. This punishment holds good even for a woman who causes her own miscarriage, although harsher penalties are awarded if the woman dies owing to the miscarriage. Under the Criminal Code, abortions are legally permitted only in the event that the life of a woman is to be saved. At the same time, any person who, with intent to procure the miscarriage of a woman, unlawfully administers to her any noxious thing or uses any other means is subject to fourteen years’ imprisonment.  A woman who undertakes the same act with respect to herself or consents to it is subject to seven years’ imprisonment. Any person who supplies anything knowing that it is intended to be unlawfully used to procure a miscarriage is subject to three years’ imprisonment.

One slight deviation in the context of the Criminal Code is that by interpretation, abortions have been allowed in the wake of broader circumstances. The English decision in Rex v. Bourneushered in an era where the element of necessity was read into situations to determine whether it was ripe for a legal authorization of abortion or otherwise. Besides these developments, in 1982, there was an attempt made to liberalize abortion law, but the same was nipped in the bud before it attained fruition.

In Nigeria, induced abortion using unsafe methods is considered to be a rather major cause of maternal mortality, which is considerably high in Nigeria. Delta Women conducted a survey amongst women in Nigeria, and the resultant data suggested a considerably shocking trend. Out of a survey pool of 20 sample respondents between the ages 25 and 50, 22% had undergone an abortion. Of these respondents, one of them stated, “Yes, I had an abortion. It was done in a clinic by a Certified Doctor, I will say. I had to do it because my parents wouldn't hear that I am pregnant outside wedlock.”As for considering abortion as an option, 22% of the women answered that they would, while another 22% were unsure, and the remainder were vociferously expressive of their antagonism to choosing abortions. About 80% of our respondents expressed that they were aware of the consequences of an unsafe abortion on their bodies, and also 90% of the respondents are aware of the legal standpoints on abortion in Nigeria. While as many as 80% of the respondents did not know of others who had undergone unsafe abortions, one of the remaining 20% explained, “A school mate of mine underwent an unsafe abortion, and she died. However, when one other friend of mine did the same, she didn’t face any such bad luck.”

20% of the respondents did not know what unsafe abortions were, while the predominant answers in the survey so far as their knowledge was concerned, most perceived unsafe abortions to be:

1.      a significant cause of maternal mortality

2.      the termination of an unwanted pregnancy by persons lacking the necessary skills, or in an environment lacking minimal medical standards, or both

3.      the absence of proper and clean/safe facilities and equipment

4.      an abortion at a late stage of pregnancy

5.      an abortion in a non sterile environment, with unsterilized tools and performed by unqualified personnel

6.      an abortion by self-medication

A Nigerian doctor (who wishes to remain anonymous) feels that rates of unsafe abortions can be reduced by making contraception easily accessible, along with offering awareness as to its usage. “Unfortunately some ladies use termination as “contraceptive” with disastrous consequences. The government should see a termination as a woman right, the deep religious, cultural and social stigmatisation of a terminationwill need to be addressed.
Opposing it forces it underground. It doesn’t stop it and “No sex” is practically impossible to advocate. Safe protected sex and condoms help with STDs, and will also cut down the need for termination but combined with the pill even more effective as it is unlikely that both methods would fail simultaneously         .” He further adds that there should be laws to protect qualified practitioners of safe abortions, should contraception fail. The procedure should be subsidised in order to make them affordable. “Unfortunately it has been a non-issue and unless there are statistics to make the people and government agencies aware that it is a major source of loss of women’s life and future fertility, unsafe abortions will continue as there is a market for it.”

There is evidently a cause for practical implementation of the legal system that exists on paper. Although in principle, abortions are banned except for certain grounds, there are plenty of clinics that thrive on the business of quick, unsafe and illegal abortions. At best, the solution does not lie in legalizing abortions, but rather, in legally regulating abortion. Simple means of doing this would be mandating the registration of medical practitioners under the law. There should be a compulsory rule that without a license, a practitioner cannot conduct any means of abortion. Furthermore, it would be wise to mandate that every case of abortion be a registered case, with the patient’s right to privacy being retained by allowing them to be unnamed.

By Kirthi and Shadrack Egbonimali

Blogging for Nigeria! Post 1: Rape, Law and Reality

On September 2011, a video of a Nigerian woman being gang raped emerged on the Internet. As the five men took turns raping her, she pleaded to her rapists to kill her. She knew that being raped was not only hurting her physically and psychologically, but she knew that her honor would also be permanently stained in the eyes of Nigerian society.

Despite the explicit nature of the 10-minute video, local authorities dismissed it. In fact, university and government officials denied the video’s authenticity and claimed that the rape did not took place on or around the university campus. Thus, they excused themselves from any duty to bring justice to the rape victim, or to enforce the criminal laws regarding rape.

Nigeria’s Youth Minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, was the only official to come forward and issue a statement calling for the university and the police to arrest and prosecute the men shown in the video. He even did something unheard of: he offered assistance to the woman.

In 2001, Bariya Ibrahim Magazu, a Nigerian teenage single mother was given 100 lashes for adultery. Bariya claimed she had been raped by three men but, in accordance with Sharia law, she was required to show proof that the men who raped her had indeed forced her to have sex with them.

Under Sharia law, Bariya’s rape was interpreted as fornication because she was unable to present witnesses who would confirm the veracity of her rape accusations. Fornication, a Hudud offence under Sharia law, can result in punishments as severe as death by stoning.

Whether addressed by the Nigerian law, or under Sharia law, both these women ended up bearing the burden for being raped. As if having been victimized once were not enough, they were further punished by archaic laws that place the blame on women. This legal approach to rape has continued to bring suffering to Nigerian women across the country.

In order to find out more about people’s conception about rape, Delta Women conducted a local survey in Delta State, Nigeria. Our sample included 12 female and 10 male respondents between the ages of 15 and 50.

Survey results showed that most participants were acquainted with the definition of rape. The most commonly provided definition of rape was “an act of sexual violence that involves intercourse without consent or against someone’s will.“ However, when asked about why women get raped, most participants attributed rape to the behavior of women and to the indecent way in which some women dress. Other reasons provided were low self-esteem in men, drugs and alcohol, hatred of women, and unwanted thoughts in men’s minds. The results matched the unfounded beliefs that women are the ones to blame for provoking the rape. Not surprisingly, women in the Niger Delta are often unwilling to testify about their experiences.

The question is: Did respondents mean to say that rape is an act of sexual violence done without a woman’s consent because of the way women act or dress? Is this an example of the good old “she was asking for it” excuse? I certainly hope not.

Even though the Delta Women survey showed the participants’ knowledge of the definition of rape, the results suggested a need to gain a better understanding on why rape happens in Nigeria and other societies.

Survey participants were also asked about how rape is addressed under Nigerian and Sharia laws. The results indicated that the participants knew little about government laws addressing rape. Additionally, their knowledge of Sharia law was limited to the fact that these laws are derived from the Koran and are mostly followed by people of Muslim faith. This limited understanding of Sharia law might be explained by the fact that all participants reported being Christian.

The lack of awareness regarding laws surrounding rape is alarming. How are individuals supposed to protect themselves, and to exercise their rights, when they are unaware of the laws that are in place? Perhaps there is a need for some sort of campaign to make rape laws better known among the Nigerian populace. But, in the absence of that, I will provide a synopsis of how the law in Nigeria protects against rape.

In addition to having ratified the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (“CEDAW”), which was designed to put an end to all types of violence against women, including rape, Nigeria has specific laws addressing rape. Section 357 of the Criminal Code states that “any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if consent was obtained by force or by means of threat or intimidation of any kind, or by fear or harm, or by any means of false and fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act, or in the case of a married woman, by personating her husband is guilty of an offence called rape.” Under Section 358, the punishment for rape is life imprisonment. Only four percent of survey respondents were aware of this punishment.

Whereas the law might appear to provide protection to the victim of rape, the key word to focus on is “consent”, as it is the victim’s duty to prove that she did not consent to the rape. This is a main difference from the way in which rape is addressed under the law in other countries in which the individual accused of rape can claim the defense of consent, but then bears the burden of proving that the victim consented.

Having to prove that the intercourse was not consensual further contributes to the culture of silence surrounding rape. A woman who has been raped also has to deal with humiliation by the police, as well as the “embarrassment” resulting from public acknowledgement. Moreover, in Nigerian society, when a woman is raped, she and her family are ostracized due to the dishonor associated with rape.  All people surveyed by Delta Women agreed that when a woman is raped, her family is dishonored as well.

The Nigerian Constitution, however, does not specifically prohibit rape. In addition, the laws that exist, such as the ones mentioned above, are oftentimes outdated, and not enforced.

Moreover, the Nigerian government tolerates the existence of customary and religious practices, some of which adversely affect women. Sharia law, which applies in twelve Nigerian states, is one example of customary law. Under Sharia penal laws, rape is criminalized. However, the definition of rape does not follow the principles underlined by the country’s criminal laws, and does not provide sufficient protection or redress for women and girls who have been raped. In some instances, a woman’s failure to consent is not considered in criminal proceedings under Sharia law.

As with Nigerian law, under Sharia law, victims are burdened with proving the absence of consent. Moreover, a woman’s rape accusation can only be backed by eyewitnesses and no circumstantial evidence is accepted. In fact, the way Sharia law works makes it very challenging to prosecute rape, once again leaving the perpetrator unpunished and exposing the victim to yet another traumatic experience.

In some cases, Sharia law only levies a monetary punishment against a convicted rapist. For example, a rapist might be obliged to pay the victim the amount she would normally received as marriage payment, or if the rapist cannot be punished, he must pay the victim the amount equal to bride-money. When asked about whether monetary compensation was sufficient punishment for rapists, eighty percent of survey participants said that money did not compensate for the trauma and the dishonor resulting from rape. The remaining twenty percent approved of monetary compensation.

In addition, it should be noted that, that neither Nigerian law nor Sharia law criminalize marital rape. Under both sets of laws, a husband cannot be accused of raping his wife.

Under both legal systems, prosecuting rapists represents an extremely challenging task. Interestingly, the survey conducted by Delta Women showed that participants believed rape should be severely punished. In some instances, participants suggested rapists should be incarcerated for extended periods of time, and some even advocated for castration of the perpetrators. However, despite the demand for punishment, laws continue to turn a blind eye to rape in Nigeria.

The reality is that rape terribly hurts women. In order to eliminate rape, we must first understand it.

Contrary to participants’ beliefs, rape is not caused by women’s behavior. In reality, rape is used to oppress women, especially in societies where women are less valued. When women’s value is framed in terms of their sexual purity, women’s status becomes more vulnerable. If virginity is what makes women honorable, rape is an easy weapon to permanently damage them. Not surprisingly, the societies and cultures that view women and men as equally valuable are less likely to have incidence of rape.

The fact is that rape is used to oppress women. Regardless of the governing laws, women in Nigeria—and around the world—need to be protected from such a terrible crime. Sadly, the laws in Nigeria appear to further victimize and humiliate women. They do not bring justice to them. Until new laws are specifically tailored to protect women, and the actors responsible for enforcing them do so, women’s rights across Nigeria will continue to be violated. Nigeria will be depriving itself from what has been shown to be the most effective tool for development: the female factor.

Sources consulted:

Steiner, S. (2002). Sharia Law. Retrieved on February 5, 2012 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/aug/20/qanda.islam

Chineze J. Onyejekwe (2008). Nigeria: The Dominance of Rape. Retrieved on February 5, 2012 from http://www.bridgew.edu/soas/jiws/Oct08/Onyejekwe.pdf

Huffington Post (2011). Nigeria Rape Video: Footage Of Brutal Attack On Woman Outrages Nation. Retrieved on February 2, 2012 from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/21/nigeria-rape-video-footag_n_974408.html

By Paola Brigneti and Shadrack Egbonimali

WHO DETERMINES WHAT REAL BEAUTY IS?

So you think you know what Beauty is? Instead I think we should ask WHAT IS REAL BEAUTY? WHO DETERMINES WHAT REAL BEAUTY IS?

Do you subscribe to the notion that being beautiful means being thin, or having high cheek bones and terribly defined collarbones? Does being beautiful, to you, mean donning skimpy outfits and looking like a million bucks in them? Or does being beautiful mean looking like a plastic doll, decked up in the finest of jewels and clothes?

Get this.

70% of women get depressed after looking at fashion magazines

A majority of women would give up 5 yrs of their lives to look different

American women spend $40 billion on beauty products and about 2 billion on hair products

Americans spend $10Billion per year on beauty products, and much more if you count personal grooming products. If you focus on core beauty products, such as those at http://www.russellorganics.com that include cleansers, toners, and moisturizers then the answer is $10Billion. If you focus on over all beauty such as skin care, hair care, etc such as http://www.spaskin.com then the answer is much higher.

Asian women pay money to make their eyes look rounder

Accented people use their “Greek status” to describe perfect beauty and use it as a yardstick to measure perfect beauty

African women decide between good hair and bad hair and to them straight hair is good!

Japanese women put steel in their legs to make them look taller because tall is “beautiful”

Most Jordanian women have gone through plastic surgery

Girls starve themselves to death to look like models

And here’s the didactic quotient to all this.

Do women in the world realize what it takes to make those women look good in magazines?

Do they know how many people worked on them to make them look good?

Do they know of the hormone shots that are injected under eyes to make the puffiness go?

Do they know of the duct-tapes that adhere to their bodies to keep clothes in place to make them look perfect?

Or do they know of the use of Photoshop to remove any scars and blemishes in the skin?

So, who decides what perfect beauty is?

Here’s the simple answer.

YOU.

You, by smiling and being cheerful, are beautiful.

You, by loving, caring and sharing, are beautiful.

You, by doing good, are beautiful.

You, by spreading happiness, are beautiful.

You, by lending a helping hand, are beautiful.

You, by JUST BEING WHO YOU ARE, are beautiful.

LOVE YOUR SELF, DON’T TRY TO BE SOMEONE ELSE! IF GOD WANTED TO MAKE U LOOK DIFFERENT HE WOULD HAVE MADE YOU SO.

International Women’s Day

I have been busy the past few days trying to come up with a read-worthy topic for this blog, searching the web, reviewing books, watching the news and reading magazine and newspaper articles, but nothing.  Then it hit me, International Women’s day is coming up, March 8^th 2012 the international community will celebrate and pay homage to women the world over. This got me thinking the origins of International Women’s Day and the past accomplishments of women over the past decades and the challenges women still face today.

In today’s world, we often take for granted the opportunities and possibilities that are conferred upon us as 21^st century women. It was a little more than a century ago that woman weren’t allowed to vote, own property or be considered as individual persons as opposed to property of their husbands or fathers. The international community has come a long way from perceiving women as brood machines whose sole purpose was birthing children, maintaining the household and pleasing their husbands. Nowadays women have rights of their own, being able to vote, own property, attend school, enter into legal contracts without consent of their fathers or husbands, and even run for parliament and president. However, these rights and privileges weren’t always applicable to women. The progress made over the past century required the strength, determination and perseverance of several strong women to make the necessary changes to the male dominated world. International Women’s Day pays homage to all the women who have striven for equal rights and opportunities for women and also the achievements and struggles women faced throughout the past decades.

International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. It is an occasion for looking back on past struggles and accomplishments, and more importantly, for looking ahead to the untapped potential and opportunities that await future generations of women.[1] International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history. It is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men.[2]

At the turn of the 20^th century the world experienced a period of expansion, turbulence, booming population growth and radical ideologies.[3] International Women’s Day first emerged from the activities of labour movements at the turn of the twentieth century in North America and across Europe.[4] The history of International Women’s Day can be traced back to the year 1909 when the United States observed the first National Woman’s Day, which was designated in honour of the 1908 garment workers’ strike in New York, where women protested against working conditions.[5] However, it was not recognized internationally until 1911 as a result of the Copenhagen initiative, in which more than one million men and women rallied together in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland.[6] The rallies addressed the issues of women’s right to vote and hold public office, women’s right to work, vocational training, and for an end to discrimination on the job.[7]

Since its establishment in the early 20^th century, International Women’s day has assumed a new global dimension for women in both developing and developed countries. This new international women’s movement has been further strengthened by the United Nations and its many conferences on women’s rights, which aim at building support for women’s rights and participation in the political and economic arenas.[8]

In short, International Women’s Day is a moment to look back and commemorate all the struggles and achievements made by women, for women. It is a moment to celebrate the tremendous acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have made considerable contributions to women’s rights and changed history for the better in their countries and communities. More importantly, it is an opportunity to look to the future and take note of the struggles still facing women today. These struggles may prove challenging and seem impossible to overcome, however, women have been in this position before and have succeeded in changing the way the world viewed them. Furthermore, it provides women with the inspiration and motivation to continue in the struggle of improving their lives for the better. It is a moment to call for change and focus on the improvements to be made in the future. Lastly, International Women’s Day comes but once a year, it commemorates the strength, courage and determination within every woman and demonstrates what women can achieve once they commit and organize accordingly.

 By: Mellaney A. H. Rodriguez

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[1] United Nations, Women Watch <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html> accessed 1 March 2012.

[2] United Nation, International Women’s Day <http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm> accessed 1 March 2012.

[3] United Nations, Women Watch <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html> accessed 1 March 2012.

[4] United Nations, Women Watch <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html> accessed 1 March 2012.

[5] United Nations, Women Watch <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html> accessed 1 March 2012.

[6]United Nations, Women Watch <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/feature/iwd/history.html> accessed 1 March 2012.

[7] Idem.

[8] Idem.