June 2022

SPEAK WEDNESDAY – MOTHERHOOD PENALTY

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After childbirth, most women experience a significant drop in their careers. This is called the motherhood penalty.

According to Wikipedia, the motherhood penalty is a term coined by sociologists who argue that in the workplace, working mothers encounter biological and cultural-based disadvantages in pay, perceived competence, and benefits relative to childless women.

Mothers in the workforce most times face discrimination in the hiring process based on stereotypical views that women are less committed to their work, therefore less productive. Subsequently, this affects the employability rate of women, wages, evaluations, promotions, and in a long run, their careers.  

To change the narrative, the government should make policies that prohibit discrimination against mothers, continue to promote paid parental leave, and assess gender wage gaps. Society and employers should learn to provide support for working mothers as that will reduce the penalization of women for starting a family.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

 

# SpeakWednesday #MotherhoodPenalty #GenderBias #Genderinequality

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MONDAY HEALTH BURST – VIRAL HEPATITIS IN NIGERIA

#ViralHepatitis, Health, Health Communication, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C /

Viral hepatitis is one of the most communicable diseases in the world. It is spread through contaminated blood, intravenous drug abuse and sexual contact with an infected person. In highly endemic areas like sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission). In addition, infection can occur during medical, surgical and dental procedures, tattooing, or through the use of razors and similar objects that are contaminated with infected blood. Annually, viral hepatitis affects 400 million people worldwide, causing acute and chronic liver diseases and killing about 1.5 million people (4,000 people daily), mostly from hepatitis B and C. Yet, it is entirely preventable.

Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the main cause of liver cancer. According to Centre for Disease Control (CDC), viral hepatitis causes 80% of all liver cancer deaths. In Nigeria, liver cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths, accounting for over 11,000 deaths yearly and 32 deaths every day. Liver cancer is less common among children and teenagers and more common with adults. The average age of occurrence in Nigeria is about 46 years compared to the developed world where the average age of occurrence is in the mid-60s. Also, liver cancer is more common in men with a male: female ratio of about 2 in 1 according to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Liver cancer is rare in children and teenagers.

Every year, July 28 is marked as World Hepatitis Day (WHD). It is a day dedicated to increase the global awareness and understanding of viral hepatitis and the diseases that it causes. This is because research shows that with better awareness and application of its preventive measures, this life-threatening disease could be eliminated, and 4,000 lives could be saved daily.

Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) takes advantage of this special event annually to work towards eliminating viral hepatitis across different states in Nigeria. Aside awareness creation in communities by CFHI, other successful ways employed to curb this menace is to reach out to key populations in Abuja, Nasarawa and Imo states with sensitization programs, vaccination and referrals. These key populations include female sex workers, drug addicts, inmates in correctional centres, worship centres, and people living in hard-to-reach communities. CFHI also carries out street interviews to know the level of awareness of people towards hepatitis and has over the years reached out to over 1000 people.

During the sensitization campaigns, participants are shown different ways of preventing the transmission of viral hepatitis, which include avoiding sharing of needles and other items such as toothbrushes, razors or nail scissors, avoiding tattoos or body piercings from unlicensed facilities and screening of blood donation products, practicing safe sex by minimizing the number of partners and using barrier protective measures (condoms), reducing alcohol intake, obesity, and avoiding aflatoxin prone foods like tree nuts (almonds, cashews, and walnuts), peanut, rice, corn, dried fruits, cereals, among others.

During the street interviews by CFHI, about 40% of the respondents were unaware of what hepatitis really is, neither do they know the means of transmission and preventive measures; 30% agreed to have heard about hepatitis, but never cared much about it; 20% were either infected or affected by HBV or HCV; and 10% had proper knowledge of viral hepatitis and were vaccinated.

To significantly reduce the current hepatitis epidemic, screening and early diagnosis still remains a major tool in preventing transmission of viral hepatitis and other health problems that may result from viral hepatitis infection. There is need for massive awareness and widespread availability of these interventions. With CFHI already facilitating health education, screening as well as vaccination against hepatitis at the grassroots and among key populations, a larger number of persons in Nigeria will be reached with more support.

Follow us on all our social media handles for updates on the commemoration of World Hepatitis Day, 2022.

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Speak Wednesday- Structural Inequality in Rural Communities

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Structural inequality is a situation when social institutions offer a biased distinction which is advantageous to certain category of people and marginalizes some other set of people. In this case, the women. This marginalization is mainly a rural phenomenon. However, urban communities are not completely excluded.

The structural gender inequality persists in rural communities due to factors such as sexual orientation, tradition and religion. As a result of this, some women in rural communities are denied equal access to wealth, properties, wages, quality education, good health care and health insurance, employment, living standards, among others. Which is detrimental to the actualization of sustainable development goals and frustrates the economic growth of the society at large.

To combat structural gender inequality in rural communities, all private sectors should encourage maternity leaves with pay. Also, the government should without gender bias increase the minimum wage, end residential segregation, build affordable assets for working families, invest in infrastructure and public services, ensure the fair distribution and access to land, and end all forms of discrimination.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

#SpeakWednesday #StructuralInequality #GenderBias #RuralCommunities #Urbanization

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Monday Health Burst – Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV

PMTCT /

In 2020, 1.7 million people in Nigeria were living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), according to National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA). Women being the most affected group, numbering about 960 thousand. Agreeably, this puts children at a very high risk of infection.

According to World Health Organization (WHO), HIV can be transmitted from infected pregnant woman to her infant during pregnancy to breastfeeding periods. However, with effective medical intervention, the rate of maternal to child transmission of HIV can be curtailed.

Some of the interventions include the sensitization of isolated communities and youths to the dangers of having unprotected sex, guidelines for HIV prevention, care and treatment for infected pregnant women, among others. Also, intensifying prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes in health care centres.

#MondayHealthBurst #PMTCT #Health4All #HIVAIDSPrevention

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY – GENDER INEQUALITY IN GIRL CHILD EDUCATION

Speak Wednesday /
Gender inequality in education is a sociocultural bias that entails unequal participation of girls as their male counterparts in education. This is a national concern that has been continuously overlooked by the government.
The discriminatory treatment against girls who are most times burdened with household responsibilities, like cooking, cleaning, tending to the garden, fending for their siblings, etc has led to a great perception against the girl child education.
 
In some families, the girl child is sometimes engaged in child labour like helping her parents in trading to raise money for her brother’s education, while the girl is believed to be married off to another family, hence remains uneducated.
 
The factors causing gender equality against girls in education are illiteracy, poverty, poor infrastructure, discriminatory gender norms, child marriage, gender-based violence, and cultural harmful practices, among others.
 
In rural communities, the saying that a girl’s education ends in the kitchen is still upheld by some families who believe educating a girl is a waste of money. This is a traditional viewpoint regarding the education of girls in some places in Nigeria, yet, in this 21st century.
 
According to UNICEF, gender-equitable education systems empower girls and boys and promote the development of life skills – like self-management, communication, negotiation, and critical thinking that young people need to succeed. They close skills gaps that perpetuate pay gaps and build prosperity for entire countries.
Gender-equitable education systems can contribute to reductions in school-related gender-based violence and harmful practices, including child marriage and female genital mutilation.
 
To overcome barriers that are preventing girls from advancing equally with boys in education, the government should promote gender-responsive programs and a safe learning environment that prioritizes girls’ education. Also, teachers should be trained to be gender aware to prevent gender stereotypes and reduce gender bias in the classroom.
 
The girl child should be allowed the same opportunity as their male counterparts to complete their education to enable them to navigate and acclimatize to the fast-changing world. It is one of their basic fundamental rights, as children.
 
Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

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SPEAK WEDNESDAY-CHILD ABUSE

Child Labour, Child Trafficking, ChildNotBride, Gender /

Section 28 of the Child Rights Act provides that no child shall be subjected to any forced or exploitative labour; or employed to work in any capacity where he is employed as a domestic help outside his own home or family environment.

Child labour refers to the permissible and non-permissible work done by children for a third party or an employer, which is sometimes done in hazardous situations. It is, however, important to note that this does not include reasonable household chores carried out by children under supervision in their homes which is a primary part of training children to be responsible adults in the future.

In Nigeria, child labour has persisted due to extreme poverty, lack of access to quality education, poor economic growth and the societal attitude towards child labour. Regardless of the existing laws prohibiting the practice, children are being pushed into domestic work daily just to bring additional income to support the family while facing exposure to sexual exploitation and other hazards associated with child abuse.

According to ILO, estimates determine that the current number of child workers in Nigeria is 15 million, which shows that Nigeria has the highest number of child labour in West Africa. The effects of child labour on children include both bodily and mental harm, poor or zero education, sexual or economic abuse, and other violations of child’s rights.

To eliminate domestic child labour in Nigeria, the problem of poverty should be tackled first by an overhaul of the economy to provide jobs for adult citizens of the country. Education should be made free for children from primary to secondary levels to keep children in school and lessen the financial burden on families. Also, the government should implement laws like the Child Rights Act and the Labour Act to foster the protection of children from exploitation.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on our social media platforms for more episodes.

#SpeakWednesday #ChildLabour #DomesticViolence #SDGs #EndChildLabour #PurnishPerpetrators

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