‘Pass the Gender and Equal Opportunities bill into law’

Can you tell us about your election into the United Nations’ Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)?The United Nations Treaty Monitoring Bodies (TMBs) monitors the extent of implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by State Parties, that […]

Can you tell us about your election into the United Nations’ Committee on the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)?
The United Nations Treaty Monitoring Bodies (TMBs) monitors the extent of implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by State Parties, that is countries of the world that have ratified the Convention. There are 188 countries that are State Parties to CEDAW.
I want to use this opportunity to thank the Federal government of  Nigeria for the confidence reposed in me by my nomination to contest for a seat on the UN CEDAW Committee. I would like to acknowledge the support of the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajia Zainab Maina and her team, the Permanent Representative of Nigeria to the UN Ambassador Prof. Joy Ogwu and her team in New York, and my colleagues and partners for their overwhelming support. It was a very close contest, however at the end of the day Nigeria emerged victorious.
The process of nomination and campaigning for the seat was a very competitive one and in that regard I want to share with you some of the points on my campaign manifesto in New York   in the days and weeks before the election targeting the then 187 countries that would vote in the election:
I acknowledged that Nigeria was yet to domesticate the CEDAW .I highlighted among other reasons the challenges around the domestication of the convention including the factors of Nigeria’s cultural and ethnic diversities, the challenges of protecting women’s rights within and across the legal regime where we have a tripartite legal system of statutory law, Sharia Law and Customary Law, the misperceptions of gender and what it holds for people which has impeded the collective endorsement and realization of our commitments to the CEDAW convention.
Having said this, I would like to use this opportunity to appeal to the government at federal and state levels – the legislature, the executive and the judiciary not only to celebrate our hard earned victory but also to use this victory to show the world that Nigeria has turned a new leaf in the area of gender equality and empowerment of women.
It would be beneficial if the institutions mentioned above strive to restore the world’s confidence in Nigeria as a nation and our respect for human dignity, gender equity and equality.  To achieve this, Nigeria should consider doing the following:
Ensure the immediate passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Bill which has been pending before the NASS for three consecutive legislative tenures.
Sustain the momentum built up around gender equity and equality by Mr. President in the appointment of 31% of his executive as women.
Demonstrate greater political will in ensuring an increase in the representation of women in governance and policy structures in the interest of Nigeria’s overall development.
A legal framework will also ensure sustainability of such positive actions.

What do you think are the challenges of the implementation of CEDAW in Nigeria?
There are several challenges to the implementation of CEDAW in Nigeria. The disconnect between government pronouncements made at international and regional levels, and the action taken at national and local levels, demonstrates that the road to implementation of CEDAW is riddled with challenges that will have to be overcome if CEDAW is to be of benefit to the women it seeks to protect.
One challenge is patriarchy and then the lack of awareness, especially at local levels.
The existence of customary and religious laws on the one hand and statutory law on the other often means that women’s rights are compromised. This is what happened to the CEDAW Bill in the House of Representatives in 2007. It is not surprising that CEDAW, which seeks to challenge discriminatory cultural and religious practices, is facing resistance and being undermined as a result of this duality of legal systems.
The challenge for CEDAW advocacy in Nigeria will be to convince the male dominated National and state assemblies to make CEDAW legally enforceable in Nigeria in accordance with the constitutional role assigned to them.

How will your position in that committee help champion the cause of women and children in the country?
Nigeria’s membership in the CEDAW Committee is an incentive for the legislature to make the Convention part and parcel of our domestic laws; otherwise it will make little or no sense that Nigeria fought so hard to secure a seat on the committee and yet would have nothing to do with its provisions.
 Nigeria is due to present its periodic report to the committee this year and so it would be embarrassing for the Nigeria delegation to appear before the committee again, after almost 30 years of ratifying the Convention and give the same response that the CEDAW bill is still pending before the National Assembly. The response was given in 2004, 2008 and now we are about to give the same response. This does not portray the country in good light before the international community.

As a lawyer and someone who was also a magistrate for several years, do you think we have adequate laws protecting women’s rights in the country, especially violence against women?
We do not have federal laws that directly protect the rights of women in Nigeria. However, at the state level, there are various laws that prohibit violence against women, harmful traditional practices among others and provide punishment for the perpetrators.
The Violence Against Persons (VAPP) Bill has been in and out of the National Assembly since 1999 and it is still pending.  My advice is also that Nigeria should pass the Gender and Equal Opportunities bill, which comprehensively provides for the protection of rights of women with sanctions against perpetrators.  

How do you think women’s participation in politics can be strengthened in the country?
It has always been my strong view that the level of women’s participation in politics will continue to remain at its lowest until something drastic is done.
Men continue to monopolize politics and much of that monopoly contributes to sustaining male privileges as the status quo.
Women’s equal participation in decision-making is not only a demand for simple justice but also a necessary condition for their interests to be taken into account. Furthermore, women’s political rights are an integral and inseparable part of human rights. It is therefore unjust, illegitimate and undemocratic to exclude women (almost 50% of the population) from the political process.
I also think that the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee report should be revisited and the progressive recommendations they made adopted.
I also think that women need capacity building in leadership, self esteem building, campaign strategies, communication, fund raising etc. to prepare them for participation in politics.
 
You have been at the forefront of the struggle for women empowerment and protection of their rights, what is your advice for upcoming or young gender rights advocates?
I am really happy at the interest being shown in gender equality and women empowerment by the next generation of women. Their enthusiasm is very encouraging. It gives me hope that when we retire there will be a crop of strong activists to take over from us and continue the struggle. I would advise them to seek mentorship by older women activists and learn as much as they can to prepare them for the struggle ahead. They need to build their capacity in advocacy, leadership, among others.    
 
What is your advice for career women on combining work and family?
When people say that women are of the weaker sex, it baffles me because when you ask a woman what she does in 24 hours and ask a man the same question, you’ll discover that the woman is busy from the time she wakes up as early as 5am until almost midnight while the man’s task is to go to work return home and read newspapers.
The man goes to work, returns home and is waited on by the same woman who has been on her feet all day doing the same productive work as the man and in addition is engaged in reproductive and community work.
The woman has triple gender roles and she carries out these roles simultaneously. I think women should be appreciated more than ever before. Their unpaid role at home contributes indirectly to development. If they did not do that work at home, their husbands would not be productive in the office.
 While we continue to advocate that the unpaid work of women should be valued and included in the GDP, I would like to advise women not to give up. It is proper for them to practise their professions but at the same time, they must find a balance to ensure that the upbringing of their children is not left to the house girls and boys.
Many of us have combined work and career successfully and our children have turned out as very responsible citizens. It is doable but it needs a lot of sacrifice on the part of women. They must find time to assist the children otherwise the children would seek assistance from their peers, which can be very dangerous sometimes.