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Women’s reproductive and health rights are critical to attaining gender equality and fostering women’s well-being. The World Health Organization and the United Nations have acknowledged the significance of defending women’s reproductive and health rights, which are inextricably tied to their social, economic, and political standing. In Nigeria, women’s reproductive and health rights are protected by both international and national laws.
Discrimination against women in health care is a violation of their human rights, according to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The treaty demands equal access to health care services, particularly reproductive health treatments, as well as the abolition of harmful cultural practices that undermine women’s health.
Nigeria is a signatory to CEDAW and established legislation to protect women’s reproductive and health rights. The 2014 National Health Act affirms the right to health care services, including reproductive health services, and requires health facilities to offer emergency obstetric care to pregnant women. The Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015 criminalizes many forms of violence against women, including female genital mutilation, and ensures the protection of victims.

Additionally, by prohibiting child marriage and respecting girls’ rights over their bodies, the Child Rights Act of 2003 protects young girls’ reproductive rights.
The Child Rights Act of 2003 also protects the reproductive rights of young women by prohibiting child marriage and upholding girls’ autonomy over their bodies.

Women in Nigeria still struggle to obtain services related to reproductive health, and they frequently face violence and discrimination based on their gender, in spite of these laws and initiatives. Harmful practices like female genital mutilation and child marriage, which can have a negative impact on women’s health, are typically supported by cultural and religious beliefs.
In conclusion, establishing gender equality and advancing the welfare of women in Nigeria and around the world depend on safeguarding their legal access to contraception and other health-related services. In Nigeria, women’s reproductive and health rights are also legally protected, but more must be done to eradicate harmful traditions and ensure that every woman has access to reproductive health care.

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

Family planning is an important aspect of reproductive health that involves the use of various methods to control the number and spacing of children in a family. It empowers individuals, couples, and families to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, improve their overall well-being, and achieve their life goals.

In Nigeria, knowledge of any contraceptive method is widespread, according to the 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey report. However, despite this knowledge, contraceptive prevalence is only 15%, and the actual use of contraceptives varies between states in the country and is influenced by sociodemographic factors.

Several years ago, the Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI), in partnership with the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) and other relevant stakeholders, organized a comprehensive training program on Family Planning (FP) and Post-Partum Family Planning (PPFP) services in Kaduna State. The main objective of the program was to enhance community awareness of these services and establish connections between the community and health facilities. The training program targeted all categories of key influencers, and as a result, a total of 921 Traditional Birth Attendance, 513 Traditional/Religious Leaders, 285 Islamiyah School Teachers, and 594 CWO/Zumunta Mata members were successfully reached across the 10 LGAs.

There are many reasons why family planning is important, including:
Promoting maternal and child health: Family planning can help reduce the risk of maternal and infant mortality by allowing women to plan and space their pregnancies, which can improve their overall health and reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
Empowering women: Family planning gives women the ability to make informed decisions about their reproductive health, pursue education and career goals, and achieve greater economic independence and improved social status.
Reducing poverty: Family planning can help reduce poverty by allowing families to have fewer children and invest more resources in each child’s education and well-being.
Protecting the environment: Family planning can help reduce the strain on natural resources by reducing population growth and resource consumption.
Improving the overall quality of life: By allowing individuals and couples to plan and space their pregnancies, family planning can lead to improved overall quality of life for families, communities, and societies.
Access to a broad selection of family planning methods and services is crucial for individuals and couples to make informed decisions about their reproductive health and family well-being.

Monday Health Burst is an initiative of CFHI to address issues of basic health concern. Join us every Monday on all our social media platforms for more episodes.

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Period poverty, defined as a lack of access to period products, education, and facilities, is a major issue affecting millions of women globally. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 500 million women and girls do not have access to sufficient menstrual hygiene management sanitation services. Women’s health suffers as a result of a lack of access to menstrual products and facilities, as well as their social and economic well-being.

According to the WHO, a lack of access to menstruation products and facilities can result in bacterial infections, reproductive tract infections, and urinary tract infections. The UN has also acknowledged that poor menstrual hygiene management might result in toxic shock syndrome and cervical cancer. The use of unsanitary materials like old rags, leaves, or newspapers can increase the risk of infection and disease.
Women’s mental health is also impacted by period poverty. According to UNICEF, girls who cannot afford menstrual products typically feel humiliated, which leads to anxiety and despair. In rare situations, girls may drop out of school entirely, resulting in social isolation and marginalization, as well as decreased access to educational and career possibilities, with long-term social and economic ramifications.
Furthermore, the social stigma associated with periods can make women feel ashamed or afraid to seek help or speak out about their problems. This can lead to a lack of menstrual health knowledge and education, prolonging the cycle of period poverty.

CFHI’s innovation of reusable sanitary pads, known as Safepad, aims to create economic opportunities for women and young girls in local communities while also providing vulnerable groups with access to affordable or no-cost sanitary pads. In 2022, CFHI provided education on menstrual hygiene practices to approximately 60 students and distributed over 30 packs of free reusable sanitary pads to vulnerable girls, and this year, the organization aims to expand its impact and reach more individuals in need.

To address period poverty, it is essential to break the cycle of shame and stigma surrounding menstrual health. Providing education on period health and sanitation is a necessary step, but women also require access to affordable, reusable, and safe menstruation supplies. To address the root causes of poverty, governments and organizations must prioritize addressing issues such as gender inequality and economic marginalization. By fostering change and raising awareness, it is possible to remove period poverty as a barrier to women’s health. It is imperative that period poverty is recognized as a human rights issue, and that efforts are made to eliminate the stigma associated with it.

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

#SpeakWednesday #PeriodPovertye #Women’sHealth #Women’srights #genderequality #genderbias

“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