Women in Nigeria the Rank

Women in Nigeria

The rank and status of women in Nigeria is equally ludicrous in comparison with other parts of the world. Irrespective of the numerical strength of the women population in Nigeria, they are persistently vulnerable to the sheer disregard and neglect as a result of low educational opportunities, socio-cultural principles; deficiency in the economic strength; the gender biased laws and administrative policies; and domestic liabilities. (Re: Women's political participation in Nigeria) Further woman do not have involvement in the process of decision-making in Nigeria. The Nigerian society is observed to be dominated by the male population (a Philosophy of Education for Nigerian women: Problems and Prospects) Nigeria is featured as a country depicting traditional beliefs and practices that place women at denouncing roles. The low position of women is upheld with the background of conventions, tradition, culture and religion and has even deprived women of their right as a human being. (Female Genital Mutilation - FGM - Workshop on FGM and Violence against women: Senate Committee on women affairs and youth)

In most of the cases, the women are marginalized and mostly debarred from sharing any conventional leadership roles. Their dimensions of self-expression and self-realizations are extremely confined with the conventions and cultural practices. In everyday life, there existed a plethora of social discriminations between men and women in Nigeria even in the avenues of the wife-husband relationships. Such a differentiation is well symbolic and strengthened by the sexual discrimination in the sphere of employment. Normally there existed a popular convention in the sphere of the status of women in respect of the conventional rank of the women in the traditional Nigerian society. Over the years men have exerted their fullest possible potentialities to instill a sense of lower position in women. Earlier, the birth of a male child infused a cheerful atmosphere among parents as well as in the family; however, the birth of a girl child instills a gloomy atmosphere everywhere. The fathers have also gone to such an extent of marrying more and more wives or maintaining concubines when all the children are girls. The prime reason of attaining a male child is accorded more to cultural reasons rather than any other causes. (a Philosophy of Education for Nigerian women: Problems and Prospects)

Irrespective of the fact that the female population of Nigeria outnumbers men, the available data indicates that the educational standard of women lags much behind that of men. The prime factors that inhibit the education of women include adverse home basis, religion and social community conventions. The parents particularly the father has in his mind that the conception of fostering and perpetuating name and fame of the family lies with the male child. The expenditure on education of the male therefore can never be regarded as misuse. However, in case of girls this is taken to be sheer wastage of money, time and effort and the resources earmarked for the education of girls ultimately end up in the house or kitchen of another man. (a Philosophy of Education for Nigerian women: Problems and Prospects) Gender Mutilation - FGM is widely spread in all parts of the country, but is more prevalent in the southern and eastern zones and it is practiced among all racial and religious groups. News of spousal abuse is common; particularly those of wife beating in polygynous families. (AFROL Gender Profiles: Nigeria) Further in Nigeria, since the last 10 years trafficking in women and children is increasing at a startling rate. (Actual Women Situation in Nigeria) Actually, the violations in the rights of women in Nigeria are occurring in many cases and are classified as violence at home, sexual harassment in schools and at places of work, rape and adulteration, cruel widowhood rites, Female Genital Mutilation, compulsory child marriage, sexual assault at the times of conflict and armed robbery, implementation of gender discriminatory laws, biased against the girl child, no right of inheritance by wives and daughters, adverse conventional practices. (Female Genital Mutilation - FGM - Workshop on FGM and Violence against women: Senate Committee on women affairs and youth)

Government policy responses to the problem

The link between the Nigerian women and the State necessitates severe thought in respect of all its avenues. Irrespective of the avenues one is engaged, a concentration on the involvement of women's issue is warranted along with the issues like gender relations, ethnicity and religion, since each has an influence on the life of women and is organized in particular social situations and historical periods. (Women, the state and Reproductive Health issues in Nigeria) Women remain neglected though they have made significant personal advancement both in the academic and business world. Women undergo substantial inequity as well as physical abuse. Women regularly undergo favoritism as the Government accepts customary and religious practices that badly affect them. Police generally do not interfere in personal clashes, which are rarely argued in public. The Penal Code allows husbands to use physical ways to punish their wives as long as it does not end in serious injuries, like loss of sight, hearing, power of speech, facial mutilation, or other life intimidating injuries. The Government openly disagrees with Female Gender Mutilation - FGM, which is generally criticized by international health authorities as harmful to both physical and psychological health, but the Government takes no official action against the practice. (AFROL Gender Profiles: Nigeria)

Nigeria has become the starting place, passage and destination country for both internal and external trafficking. The provisions of the Criminal and Penal Codes did not grant sufficiently for the offense of trafficking in women and children until recently in 2003, when a new complete law was passed by the Nigerian National assembly and agreed to by the President. As per the constitution of Nigeria, Section 34 bans slavery and torment while Sections 223-225 of the Criminal Code deals with sanctions against those who deal in prostitution, help in the transportation of human being within or outside Nigeria with the intention of commercial sexual misuse and to make earnings out of it. The Penal Code also endorsed this act in Section 278-280, and it confers detention for anyone who buys and sells minors for dishonest reasons. Thus the central government has conceded a national legislation banning trafficking in Nigeria, for which law is more detailed than the earlier provisions of the Criminal and Penal Codes. But the new legislation does not give enough importance for the security of the sufferers and eyewitnesses to trafficking. Nigeria has also endorsed the Protocol to stop, curb and penalize trafficking in persons particularly women and girls but are yet to sanction it. (Actual Women Situation in Nigeria)

Investigating the position of Nigerian women in the political environment cannot be separated from the consideration of the whole political situation in Nigeria. Since its independence in 1960, the larger part of Nigeria has been ruled by military dictatorship. Men dictated the military government in Nigeria with only nominal activities given to women. Consecutive military governments from 1966 to 1999 with a short period of civil rule in 1979-83 only further succeeded in the omission of women in governance and decision making process particularly in the public sector. Thus Nigerian women were not in the military order and could not become a part of the highest legislative and executive body which is combined in the several military ruling councils. The place of women has only vaguely enhanced with the initiation of the democratic rule in 1999. Though women vigorously take part in the membership of political parties, they only work in the lower cadres of social welfare and work as supporters and canon fodders for men to get the political positions. Due to different socio-economic factors only a small percentage of women competed for the elective posts in the 1998. Only a small percentage was successful in the general elections with only a few women winning primaries to contest elective posts. (Actual Women Situation in Nigeria)

The performance of Nigeria in the context of Institutional Mechanism is not so worse. The Government has entailed institutional mechanism to assimilate the force of women into the developmental process of the nation. The ratification of women's policy by the Government in 2000 is a step in this direction. The government has also enunciated a specific program for women during 2002 for implementation of the policies formulated for them. (Nigerian women fairing well) the then first Lady of Nigeria, Mrs. Maryam Bbangida initiated a project named 'Better Life for Rural Women' during 1988. The Commission for Women was instituted with such attempts. The new First Lady Mrs. Miriam Abacha diverted the concentration to the concept of family during 1994 and attempted to enunciate the program, Family Support Program substituting the Better Life Program. The Commission for Women was accorded the rank of a full-fledged Ministry to be headed by a Minister at both Federal level and a Commissioner at the State level. (Women's Political Participation in Nigeria)

In the process of Institutional Mechanisms, the Commission on Women Affairs and the Ministry of Women Affairs are quite noticeable and are presently engaged with civil society organizations to improve the fate of women. The Ministry of Women Affairs had been present always; however it was a waning organization under the military rule. In some of the states the Ministry of women affairs was headed by men, but ever since the initiation of the democratic era, the Commissions are presently made responsible to the Ministry of Women Affairs since they are functioning collaboratively with civil society functionaries. (Nigerian women fairing well)

Nigeria authorized the conclusion of all four United Nations World Conferences on Women since 1975 inclusive of the Nairobi Forward Looking Strategies - NFLS in 1985 and took part at the 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women and from then on dedicated herself to the encouragement of gender impartiality. A Women's Department in the Federal Capital Territory - FCT, Abuja was formed in the thirty-six States of the Federation for the intention of growing common grassroots' partaking in the execution of the Platform for Action - PFA. (Nigeria's Report on the Implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action and common wealth Plan of Action) Irrespective of the fact that the attempts are praiseworthy, they do not generate a concrete variation in the policy towards the participation of women in the process of decision-making. The Nigerian administration has however; left is hands open in frustration to the issue of the gender equity. Irrespective of the establishment of Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and their campaigns on gender-based issues and workshops for the political empowerment of women, the absence of a dedicated government policy to deal with the gender concerns effectively is being felt to achieve the desired result in this direction. There is lack of deliberate government policy to assimilate women in the process of decision-making. (Re: Women's political participation in Nigeria) the Commissions engaged on activities relating to women groups in consonance with the policy execution, approaches and chalking out plans and programs are finding themselves with the problem of dearth of funds that has a profound adverse impact on their activities. (Nigerian women fairing well)

Nigeria is a contributor to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights - ICESR, the Convention on the Rights of the Child - CRC, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women - CEDAW and the African Charter for Human and People's Rights. These international agreements are yet to be included into the domestic laws. A summary of the present socio-political and legal condition in Nigeria reveals that the Government has not done its responsibility of the domestication of these agreements. Thus the major step should be the inclusion of the CRC and CEDAW in Nigerian domestic law. The unwillingness of the government in this regard has to a huge level hindered the full pleasure of women and girls of their globally accepted rights. (Actual Women Situation in Nigeria)

Women are however, optimistic to form non-governmental bodies and to source their own funds. This goes beyond the confirmation of the fact that the government is not capable of addressing the issue and indicates the significant contribution of the citizens whether as individuals or as members of an NGO in this regard. (Re: Women's political participation in Nigeria) the women groups are also not contented since the government still fails to fully implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women-CEDAW, the international treaty on women that the Nigeria has agreed to implement. The necessary implementation of this will definitely go a long way in struggling against all forms of violence against women. The lack of local laws to support these two declarations, are considered to be a major deficiency that the Nigerian women organizations are to challenge with in their search for their strengthening and struggle against the interruptions on the rights of women. Many developments have been attained ever since Beijing, however fundamentally, there is one yawning gap that is found absent that the Nigerian administration has not adopted locally the Beijing declaration. That is regarded as a major missing link since it is taken to be a portion of institutional mechanism categorically pointed out in the conference a decade ago. In the absence of such regulations, it is clear to be aware that there will be varied undulating impacts stemming from that missing link. (Nigerian women fairing well)

Alternatives advocated by international or local non-governmental organizations.

Women seem to have no adequate knowledge about themselves and specifically about their surroundings. As a consequence of such trends along with low level of education, women themselves disregard violence against the rights of women like the rites pertaining to widowhood and female genital mutilation. Such kind of traditional cultural experience is quite difficult to be parted with. However, the women organizations are watching, documenting, reporting and acting in respect of the naive women whose rights have been interfered. They have a set of linkage with non-governmental organizations that take care of the instances of violence against women liberty, simply requiring the women to report a case in such instances. The groups which are also struggling for a regional legislation on Nigerian women regularly publish instance of assault against women as more and more Nigerian women presently are aware that they have the right to bail a detained person and they are also eligible to become surety in the court. They are also aware of the existence of NGOs to be approached upon in case of the infringement of their rights. Such understanding prevails among women but it takes enough time for the people to suspend the loathsome practices and cultures that they are succumbed to since a long period of time. (Nigerian women fairing well)

Hence in Nigeria, presently more and more NGOs concentrate on the women associated concerns and the NGOs presently have progressively more women as members. During the last few years, the functioning of NGOs in Nigeria has enhanced largely so as to represent it to be omnipotent in respect of the issues. Many of the female members with the NGOs are seen to be at the forefront for bringing about political enlightenment, by conducting seminars, workshops etc. They are also propagating and advocating against the conventional rites and beliefs that hinder the all round progress of the women and projects focused on enhancing the economic stand of women. Seminars and Workshops particularly addressing the evils of gender discrimination concerns have also been conducted. (Women, the state and Reproductive Health issues in Nigeria)

The Nigerian NGO's Coalition - NNC noted anxiety about constant prejudice against women in the private sector, mainly with regard to the right to employment, promotion to higher professional positions, and in salary variation. There are believable reports that several businesses function with a 'get pregnant - get dismissed' policy. Women are not accepted in the formal sector but play a vigorous and critical role in the country's significant private economy. Though the number of women who work in the business sector rises every year, women do not get the same pay for the same work and usually find it difficult to get commercial recognition or to get tax deductions or discounts as heads of households. In general spinster women face many types of prejudice. (AFROL Gender Profiles: Nigeria)

The NGO's argue that there is definitely a requirement for increased education and training facilities for girls and women in Nigeria, for the total progress of the nation and to further their quality of life. Before this could take place, a significant program will be required to make policy-makers, parents, educators, employers, and others knowledgeable about the significance of girls and women's education. But it would be a tactical mistake to introduce programs only for the advancement of women. Women should be able to involve themselves actively in such programs, without considering them as a separate group. There is also a requirement for equality in employment levels and facilities for career women to promote them to pursue both career and family life. (Women and information technology)

My assessment of the level of success it has achieved or will likely achieve.

In the economic contexts the Nigerian women do not seem to have contributed so less, irrespective of the fact that a large chunk of their contributions lie in the informal sector. Besides, more and more Nigerian women presently holds significant economic and public positions like Managing Directors of Banks, Chief Executives of enterprises, Ministers of key sectors like Ministry of Finance, Budge and also heads some commissions. Presently, eight of women are presiding over the banks in the country. (Nigerian women fairing well) but silent forms of discrimination and stereotyping also continues in many enterprises, with the result that even women who are already in service are not always given the chance to show their importance. Most of the Nigerian women are still deprived of their right to recognition and faces sufferings more than her male colleague in spite of her huge contribution to the Nigerian economy mainly in the unofficial sector. (Actual Women Situation in Nigeria)

Women usually do not have equal levels of opportunity like men. The approach towards Nigerian women, by both men and women themselves of the country has often concealed the opportunities for improvement or development of women. The present socio-cultural standards have until now limited girls and women's right to education, training and employment. Sex-stereotyping on the side of parents, teachers, religion, the media and society in general promote the feeling that some jobs are only for men. Women's own limitations of confidence levels also affect their access into certain areas and jobs. Women's two spells, at home and at work, certainly disturbs their professional development. In many cases, the home shift in Nigeria is taking care of parents, in-laws and younger ones. Also, women often have to work two times harder as men to establish that they are also competent of doing their jobs well. Often the role played by a woman is taken for granted. Important activities would come to a halt, but for their involvement, particularly where the women's work disorder exempts men from trying it. Often there is a clash between the three roles of mother, wife and employee and many have a feeling of guiltiness and give up their job. The burden on workingwomen and their responsibilities have in fact become more intense. (Women and information technology)