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The issue of violence against women has been a thing of great concern to all who are interested in establishing human rights. In most cases, women face the culture of impunity and the failure of the rule of law where their human rights are concerned. This is evidenced by the specification of the penal code, section 55, which permits a wife’s battery as long as it does not amount to grievous hurt. The same penal code explained grievous hurt in section 241 as emasculation, bone fracture, tooth dislocation, permanent loss of right etc.; that is to say that anything less in effect than this is supported by the law. This automatically empowers the men to maltreat their wives, but to be conscious enough not to inflict any grievous hurt. Perhaps the greatest hindrance to progress in Nigeria, you never can tell, may be the de-classing of women in our society picturing them as weaker vessels, proficient only at making children and the running of domestics chores.
Be that as it may, women have been identified to be the stronghold of different strong economics in the world like in Malaysia, India, Pakistan, USA, etc. This is because they understood the efficacy of incorporating women in the decision system. Women have done virtually everything men have done, including flying planes, sailing, sea diving and various sports, to name but a few.
Our executive system has not really taken time to institute gender sensitive policies that will entrench equity between men and women. Until then, the potentials of women in economic growth and development remain untapped.
The most disturbing and severe violations of women rights are typically those associated with unwritten traditional norms and practices of numerous and diverse ethnic groups in Nigeria. As campaigns against female genital mutilation and other health-related human rights are wining the battle, other forms of domestic violence like the imposition of a man on a woman, i.e. making the choice of a husband for a girl against her wish and forcing her into early marriages, crops up. Everybody yells for ethical, and attitudinal re-orientation, but there seem to be some unprobed natural laws that militate earnestly against the development and incorporation of women in decision making and management of our government, culture and traditional system. This consequently calls for more education for the girl child, because the violation against women’s right is predominant among the illiterate.
Poverty on its own has encapsulated the majority of the Nigerian people and thus propels them to enforce a lot of abusive activities on their wards, things like hawking, dropping out of school, early marriages, etc., and most times to source for money to train the male child, whom they believe will continue the home when they pass on to the great beyond. This is completely inimical and ridiculous as this does more harm to the family and the nation at large and continues to expand the circle of poverty, widowhood, and the production of uncultured children from inexperienced parents.
Most times, complications during childbirths like VUF results, which very often leads to death.
Recently, some people were arrested in Sokoto where they were trying to cross over some young girls to overseas with fake ECOWAS passports.
Fellow Nigeria, the battle line has been drawn, let’s embrace our female folks and include them in all spheres of our lives since they are not an inch less in value or importance. Lets put hands together and achieve a word of unity and oneness, equality and equity, peace and progress, as this is the only way we can cohabite and make Nigeria and the world at large an ideal world.
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Chukwu Mercy
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Comments
priscilla | Dec 11th, 2008
good thought mecyb keep it up
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