Women’s Rights – Page 3 – Centre for Family Health Initiative

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Female Roles in Nation Building, Gender, Gender Based Violence, Health, Health Communication, Mental Health, Postpartum Depression, Speak Wednesday, Teenage Pregnancy, WHO, Women, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

EFFECTS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Effects of Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a woman 19 years of age or younger. A woman can get pregnant if she has vaginal sex with a man at any age after she’s begun having regular monthly periods.

Teenage pregnancies are a global problem that occurs in high, middle, and low income countries. However, there is a higher prevalence in marginalized communities, commonly driven by poverty and lack of education and employment opportunities. According to World Health Organisation (W.H.O), approximately 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and 2.5 million girls under 16 years give birth each year in developing regions and the leading cause of mortality for this age group is complication during pregnancy and childbirth. Many girls face considerable pressure to marry early and become mothers at a tender age. Teenage pregnancy increases when girls are denied the right to make decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and well-being.

Studies show that teen mothers face significant levels of stress that can lead to increased mental health concerns. In addition to higher rates of postpartum depression, teenage mothers have higher rates of depression. Pregnant teens also have a higher chance of becoming anemic which is a reduction in the number of red blood cells (RBCs). This can make you feel weak and tired and can affect your baby’s development. They also have higher rates of suicidal ideation than their peers who aren’t mothers. Teen mothers are more likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than other teenage women, as well and this is attributed to the fact that they are more likely to have gone through mental and/or physical abuse.

Many pregnant teens drop out of school, and some never complete their education which means that a large proportion of mothers who get pregnant as teenagers live in poverty and are not able to realize their full potential. Their children are not left out also, born to a teenage mother, they have greater risk for lower birth weight and infant mortality; less prepared to enter kindergarten; are more likely to be incarcerated at some time during adolescence; are more likely to drop out of high school; are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed as a young adult.

When teenagers engage in sexual relationships, they do not think about the consequences. That is why it is pertinent to invest much in the issue of reproductive health with more emphasis on adopting the right attitudes about responsible sexual behavior.

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

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Health Communication, Speak Wednesday, WHO, Women, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

FINANCIAL ABUSE OF WOMEN IN MARRAIGES

Did you ever think there is such a thing as “financial abuse”? When most people think of domestic abuse, the first thing that comes to mind is likely physical or verbal abuse, but research shows that financial abuse occurs just as frequently in unhealthy relationships as other forms of abuse.

According to Wikipedia, Financial abuse also known as economic abuse is a form of abuse when one intimate partner has control over the other partner’s access to economic resources, which diminishes the victim’s capacity to support themselves and forces them to depend on the perpetrators financially.

Financial abuse happens when an abuser uses control of finances to maintain power in a relationship. According to researchers, this form of abuse occurs in 99% of physically abusive relationships and women are mostly the victims. Victims of domestic violence often say that financial abuse is the main reason they stayed with an abusive partner. This is because the financial burden placed on them made survival on their own seem impossible. For instance, if an abuser is particularly violent and the victim needs to leave in order to stay safe, this is difficult without money or a credit card. Also, if the victims need to leave the relationship permanently, it is challenging to find safe and affordable housing. Provision of basic needs such as food, clothing, and transportation becomes really challenging. However, many forms of financial abuse are more subtle, like when an abuser hides financial information or withholds money for household needs.

Unlike other forms of abuse, financial abuse can be difficult to recognize because it varies from situation to situation since there is no one way to handle money in a relationship. However, there are concrete tactics an abusive partner may use to keep their partners trapped which includes among others: gives you “allowances” or “budgets” without your input; requiring you to account for everything you spend; pressures you to quit your job or sabotages your work responsibilities; feels entitled to your money or assets; spends your money without your knowledge and controls how all of the household finances are spent.

The effects of financial abuse are often devastating especially for women. They feel inadequate and unsure of themselves due to the emotional abuse that accompanies financial abuse. They also have to go without food and other necessities because they have no money. In the short-term, financial abuse leaves victims vulnerable to physical and emotional abuse and violence. Without access to money, credit cards, and other financial assets, it is extremely difficult to adequately plan.

Though it is not easy to break free from financial abuse, it is possible. Victims should evaluate their personal confidence level regarding finances, gain information about their assets and liabilities, gather important financial and personal documents such as copies of bank statements, birth and marriage certificates, and seek for financial independence through learning of new skills, savings, or getting a good job. Financial independence is essential in achieving healthy relationships.

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

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Gender, Speak Wednesday, Women, Women Education, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO EDUCATION

Education is a basic human right and has been recognized as such since the 1948 adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Every one has the human right to education, training and information. Despite widespread agreement that all people have the fundamental human right to education, the United Nations Statistics Division states that 100 million children, with 60% of them being girls, do not have access to primary education. 960 million adults in the world are illiterate, and more than two-thirds of them are women. Women and girls continue to face discrimination at all levels of education, a fact which poses grave hindrance to their advancement. Equality of access to all levels of education is crucial to empowering women and girls to participate in economic, social and political life of their societies. Education unlocks a woman¹s potential, and is accompanied by improvements in health, nutrition, and well-being of women and their families.

According to the United Nations office of the high commissioner on Women and the right to education, it says: “Article 10 of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, states that the right to education is the entitlement to access free primary education, and to have equal opportunities to continue with further studies. Such education must be inclusive and accessible to girls and boys, women and men, in law and in practice. Education is not only a right in itself, but is also the surest way to empower individuals to enjoy all of their human rights”.

Women in Nigeria have had various challenges in order to obtain equal education in all forms of formal education. Although more women and girls go to school today, the access to formal education is still being constrained especially in rural communities. They face multiple barriers based on gender and its intersections with other factors, such as age, ethnicity, poverty, and disability. Other barriers to access quality education include among others: harmful gender stereotypes and wrongful gender stereotyping, child marriage, early and unintended pregnancy, paid and unpaid care work which continues to be disproportionately borne by women and girls, gender-based violence against women and girls, lack of inclusive and quality learning environments, inadequate and unsafe education infrastructure, including sanitation.

Research shows that there is an improved health and an overall increase in quality of life of educated women. Educated women are more likely to seek proper medical care both for themselves, especially maternal care and their children. Likewise, higher rates of female education correspond with lower HIV and STD rates. There is a less occurrence of child marriages and teenage pregnancies if the prospects are educated. Many experts agree that focusing on women’s education is one of the best investments a developing nation can make, because female education rates are directly correlated with national economic growth. Educated women are more likely to hold stable jobs, less likely to be in poverty, and more likely to contribute to the overall economy.

Speak Wednesday is an initiative of Centre for Family Health Initiative to stop the cycle of domestic violence by breaking the silence around gender-based violence and gender bias. Join us every Wednesday on all our social media handles for more episodes.

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Gender, Mental Health, Speak Wednesday, Women, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

WOMEN’S RIGHTS ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

The right of women to be free from DOMESTIC VIOLENCE has drawn increasing concern and support since the 1970s. According to Wikipedia, “Domestic violence (also named domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. It takes a number of forms, including physical, verbal, emotional, economic, religious, reproductive, and sexual abuse, which can range from subtle, coercive forms to marital rape and to physical abuse.

Studies have shown that globally, domestic violence accounts for nearly one quarter of all recorded crimes. The fact that domestic violence prevails across all classes of the Nigerian society is no longer disputable. Despite the boisterous efforts made by the world bodies such as the United Nations (e.g. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights) and Nigeria’s constitutions to eliminate discrimination and violence against women, and promote the idea of equality and justice, the Nigerian woman is often violated.

Domestic violence directed against women by intimate partners is an epidemic of global proportions that has devastating physical, emotional, financial and social effects on women, children, the family and the community. However, it is important to note that domestic violence can also be perpetrated against men.

In Nigeria, women’s rights are largely trampled upon because of many factors. There is the lack of trust in constituted authorities to look into cases of abuse. In fact, the “penal code of the northern Nigeria” do not recognize this as an act worth bringing before the law. It is rather seen as a compulsory disciplinary measure which to some uneducated traditionalists has proven to be very effective. Also, the requirements to prove rape cases in “section 179(5) of the evidence Act” form another hurdle.

To promote gender equality and ensure protection of fundamental human rights, perpetrators should be made to face the consequences of their actions. Also, stiffer penalties have to be put in place to discourage prospective abusers like rapists. Over the years, Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) has brought awareness to women in local communities on their rights and created avenues to seek redress in cases of abuse. It has also exposed many women to information about the Violence Against Persons Prohibition(VAPP) Act of 2015, for better understanding of their human rights.

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WHO, Women, Women in Leadership, Women's Rights / cfhinitiative

WOMEN’S SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS

Women’s Sexual and reproductive health right means the right for women, regardless of age, ethnicity, HIV status or other aspects of identity, to make informed choices regarding their own sexuality and reproduction. It includes the right to make informed choices about when to give birth, the right to access the full range of affordable and informed family planning services, the right to accurate information and services to prevent and treat sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV and AIDS, and sexual health information and education.

According to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), good sexual and reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system. To maintain one’s sexual and reproductive health, people need have access to accurate information and the safe, effective, affordable, and acceptable contraception method of their choice. Women and girls around the world, especially those living in poverty are restricted or have no access to information and services about their reproductive health and rights. Some of the barriers to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) include discrimination, stigma, restrictive laws and policies, societal expectations, and ingrained traditions.

Research shows that the global status of women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights is disturbing: 214 million women worldwide want, but lack access to, contraception and more than 800 women die daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Studies also stipulate that one in three women globally will face violence in their lifetime and violence against women and girls (VAWG) is integrally linked to the denial of access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). This means many women do not have control over their bodies and their fertility.

Access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights is a basic human right. It helps eliminate preventable maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity, sexually transmitted infections (STI), cervical cancer and violence against women and girls.

Governments, multi‑lateral institutions and civil societies can promote or make accessible SRHR services to women by supporting an enabling environment so that SRHR becomes a reality through prioritizing the inclusion of SRHR within global agendas within the context of both health and gender equality. Also, prioritizing SRHR to tackle harmful gender norms and engaging men and boys as partners and change agents in SRHR. Over the years, Centre for Family Health Initiative (CFHI) has used its social media platforms to advocate for the SRHRs of women and has partnered with different organizations including Marie Stopes to provide free family planning to women during the commemoration of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Weeks (MNCHWs)

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