April 2023

“I woke up before everyone that fateful morning, excited about my supposed first day at school. My mother told me I could follow my brothers that day, but my father disagreed with her. He was angry that I was dressed to leave for school. He ordered me to go back to my room, that school is not necessary since I would be married off the next week. I was only eleven years old. I felt bad because I wanted a chance to sit with my mates in a classroom. I wish my mother had enough strength to defend me. Ever since I was married off to my husband who died 12 years later, I never saw the four walls of a school. Not because I didn’t want to, but ever since my husband died, it has been from one challenge to another for me and my 3 children”. ~ Amina.

This is one of many similar stories in Nigeria about child marriage. According to UNICEF, child marriage refers to any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult or another child. Nigeria, as the most populated country in the region (West and Central Africa), has the most child brides. Nigeria is home to an estimated 22 million child brides, accounting for 40% of all child brides in the region.
While child marriage is frequent in Nigeria, research shows that the North West has the highest rate (76%), followed by the North East (48%), North Central (35%), South-South (18%), and South East (10%).
Poverty, gender disparity, social norms and practices or religious regulations, and inadequate legislative laws are the key causes of child marriage.
It is a form of human rights and child abuse that deprives a girl child of a healthy upbringing, an education, and a future.
Other negative effects of child marriage on girls include • early pregnancy, which often leads to complications such as Vesico Vaginal Fistula; • risk of domestic abuse; and • financial dependence on their husbands.

Can A Child Give Consent?
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that consent cannot be ‘free and full’ when one of the parties involved is not sufficiently mature to make an informed decision about a life partner.
A child does not have consent, and cannot give it.
To put an end to child marriage, Nigeria needs effective legal reforms, including actions to implement the Child Rights Act and other laws that protect a child’s best interests.
Furthermore, education is a crucial strategy in combating child marriage in a culture, particularly in local societies where ignorance is widespread. It is also critical that the government implement the concept of free basic education for all children in all states, as this will create a shift in attitudes and practices regarding child rights, as well as empower the girl child in terms of life skills and support.
Lastly, in these civilizations where girls are given in marriage, there needs to be a paradigm shift in terms of social and cultural standards. Public education on children’s rights and the detrimental effects of child marriage on children and society at large can help achieve this.
GIRLS, NOT BRIDES.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #ChildMarriage #GirlsNotBrides #Women’srights #genderequality #genderbias

According to the World Health Organization, safe motherhood is providing all women with the care they require to be safe and healthy during pregnancy and childbirth. Safe motherhood is a fundamental right for women, yet it is not always guaranteed in Nigeria. Despite advances in some areas, such as better access to healthcare and more educated birth attendants, there are still significant difficulties in Nigeria to ensuring safe motherhood.

Inadequate access to appropriate healthcare services is one of the key difficulties of safe motherhood in Nigeria. Due to a shortage of health facilities in rural areas, many Nigerian women continue to give birth at home or in unsanitary conditions. Furthermore, most healthcare institutions in Nigeria are understaffed and under-equipped, making it difficult to provide quality maternal healthcare services.

In Nigeria, there is limited knowledge and education on maternal health. Many women in rural areas are unaware of the necessity of antenatal care and may wait until it is too late to seek medical help. Furthermore, cultural and traditional beliefs influence maternal health outcomes in Nigeria. Some communities, for example, believe that women should give birth at home with the assistance of traditional birth attendants, resulting in high rates of mother and child mortality.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Article 25(2), addressing health and well-being asserts that motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance.
Also, the Women’s Convention which Nigeria is a state party provides that state parties shall ensure to women appropriate services in connexion with pregnancy, confinement and the post-natal period, granting free services where necessary, as well as adequate nutrition during pregnancy and lactation.

In conclusion, providing safe motherhood in Nigeria is a complex problem with many difficulties. Lack of proper healthcare facilities and skilled experts, cultural customs and beliefs, poverty, and inadequate infrastructure and transportation all contribute to the problem. Addressing these challenges will necessitate a multifaceted approach that includes improving healthcare infrastructure and access, enhancing maternal health education and awareness, and tackling cultural attitudes and behaviours that can have a negative impact on maternal health.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.

#SpeakWednesday #SafeMotherhood #Women’sHealth #Women’sRights #HumanRights #GenderStereotype #GenderBias #GenderInequality

Women’s health rights in Nigeria, like those of all individuals, are protected by domestic laws and international treaties, to the majority of which Nigeria is a signatory. Some of these treaties include the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), etc. However, in Nigeria, as in many other countries, there are challenges and issues concerning women’s health that must be addressed.

Maternal health is one of the most pressing issues. Nigeria has a high maternal mortality rate, with many women dying during pregnancy or childbirth as a result of a lack of access to quality healthcare, poor infrastructure, and insufficient health facilities in some areas of the country. This highlights the need for improved access to high-quality reproductive healthcare services, such as antenatal care, skilled attendance at childbirth, and postnatal care for women in Nigeria.

Another issue is the right to sexual and reproductive health care, including family planning. Many Nigerian women face barriers to family planning services and information, resulting in unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and higher maternal and child mortality. Increased awareness, education, and access to family planning services are required to enable women to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health.

Domestic violence, sexual violence, and harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM) and child marriage are also major concerns in Nigeria. These types of violence can have serious physical and psychological health consequences for women, so efforts should be made to prevent and address them through legal frameworks, public awareness campaigns, and survivor support services.

Furthermore, cultural and societal norms may limit women’s access to healthcare and health-related decision-making. Gender discrimination, unequal access to education, poverty, and a lack of gender-responsive health policies and programs all threaten women’s health rights in Nigeria.

To address these issues and promote women’s health rights in Nigeria, it is critical to implement and enforce existing laws protecting women’s health and rights, to strengthen health systems and infrastructure, to increase access to quality reproductive healthcare services, including family planning, and to raise awareness about gender-based violence and harmful cultural practices.

The Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, which criminalizes female genital mutilation, harmful traditional practices, violence, and harmful traditional widowhood practices, should be implemented in Nigeria’s 36 states.
Empowering women economically, socially, and politically can also contribute to improving their health status and ensuring their right to health is respected and protected.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of CFHI to address issues around gender-based violence and gender bias.
#SpeakWednesday #Women’sHealth #Women’sRights #HumanRights #GenderStereotype #GenderBias #GenderInequality