by Nogi Imoukhuede
Project Coordinator
Women's Rights Watch- Nigeria

Dear Network members,

2003 began on a positive note for Nigerian women and the nation when it was announced in January that Dr Dora Akinyuli was named person of the year. Akunyili is the Director General of the National Agency for food and drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Nigeria. She fought persistently in the year 2002 to bring sanity to an important part of the Nigerian's health sector. Mrs Akunyili exposed all the people who made their profit from sale of substandard food products and poison as drugs . Through her office she also established that the country's weak institutions can be made to work again. Dr Akinyuli was also given an award by Transparency International, this is indeed an achievement considering the fact that T.I. has consistently ranked Nigeria as one of the most corrupt nations in the world. Dr Akinyuli is a role model for Nigerian women, that is why the campaign for affirmative action which will give more women the chance to participate in decision making, should be sustained in 2004. Women are victims of fake drugs in many ways; as mothers and wives, they go through the ordeal of caring for their sick children and family members, uncountable numbers have died due to the administration of fake drugs. Mrs Akinyuli has been recieving many death threats recently and late in December 2003 she narrowly missed being assasinated.It shows how desperate these criminal are. Our prayers for safety and protection in 2004 goes to the NAFDAC boss.

After a lot of protests by Civil Society Organisations and the general public, the House of Assembly readmitted the Child Rights Bill which has now been passed by the House of Representatives and is awaiting passing by the Senate. In a related development United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is contributing $67 million (about N8.5 billion) for the survival and development of children in Nigeria, between 2002 and 2007. At the celebration to mark the Africa Malaria Day, UNICEF said the projects would focus on reduction of infant and maternal mortality, vaccination against preventable diseases, nutrition and early child care and protection of Under-5 children against HIV/AIDS. According to the projects' budget breakdown presented by UNICEF, Under-5 and maternal reduction would gulp $20.7 million and $14.7 million would be spent for vaccine preventable diseases (polio included). Nutrition and early child care would receive $14.1 million, $9.2million would be spent for the protection of Under-5 against HIV/AIDS, while other related problems would get $8.1 million. UNICEF categorised Nigeria among the highest mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, pegging infant mortality rate at 105 per 1000 live births, while Under- 5 mortality rate was placed at 178 and maternal mortality at 704 per 100,000 births. UNICEF's Dr. Koen Vonormelingen stated that the major causes of these mortalities were preventable by a combination of interventions directed at promoting equitable access to an affordable packages of essential care, fostering household self care and preventive practices as well as promoting an enabling fiscal and political envinronment to sustain both. "The key strategies for achieving these objectives," he said, "are to give support to policy making and capacity building at the national level. To provide advocacy and capacity building at zonal level, support monitoring supervision and logistics at the state level through the 774 local government areas and help community development initiatives," he said. UNICEF had recorded, success so far in the 5-year programme, according to Vonormelinge, in the increase of national production capacity of insecticide treated bed nets and the establishment of a certification system to make health services more women and child friendly.

Still on Children in Nigeria, Child slave camps were discovered in the country, the police rescued 194 children from a cocoa plantation in Ogun State in Nigeria and sent them back to their country of origin, Republic of Benin. The recent discovery of seven slave colonies in Nigeria provokes serious questions on national security.

The colonies, located in Ogun, Oyo and Osun states, had over 400 child slaves from Benin Republic working in inhuman conditions at granite quarries.

Media reports and interviews with the masterminds of the slave colonies revealed that the children were brought into Nigeria in sacks which were declared as containing foodstuffs at the border. The slave owners also said they had over 250 illegal routes for smuggling children into Nigeria.

An even more shocking revelation was the living and working conditions of the slaves aged between 4 to 13 years. The children were said to be fed once a day and lived and slept completely exposed to nature since they resided in the bush and had no shelter of any kind. This appalling living condition apparently led to the high mortality rate reported in the colonies. At a regional conference on Trafficking in Persons which was held in Abuja and had participating members from Nigeria, Republic of Benin,Togo, Niger, Ivory Coast, The Gambia,Bukina Faso, it was discovered from country reports presented that plantation owners resorted to slave labour because of the fall in the price of Cocoa in the International markets, a very disturbing trend which reminds us of Africa's history of slave trade.

Immigration and police authorities succeeded in arresting a number of traffickers in 2003, due mainly to their increased awareness.The Federal Government has also established the Anti Human Trafficking Agency after the House of Assembly passed a Law against Trafficking in Persons. The conference was organised by the International Human Rights Law Group.

We are happy to report that the issue of sexual harrassment in the workplace especially in the banking sector, where young and beautiful ladies are sent by their marketing departments for funds mobilisation, became a topical issue in Nigeria. The Nigerian Labour Congress picketted against some of the banks involved, as a result the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN) and banks' treasury and operations managers agreed to evolve strategies for fund mobilization and corporate cash management. The Abuja Zonal Coordinator of the CIBN, Mr. Isiaka Salawu said the strategies had become imperative to curb sharp practices currently employed by banks to mobilize funds, he said "Presently, most banks are engaged in sharp practices to mobilize funds and manage cash. Some banks employ young ladies, who put on skimpy dresses to entice people for funds, while banks' staff also engage in cash pilfering cash/cheques suppression, among others.

The Nigerian elections were held and women did not perform well. The non- availability of funds and chauvinistic cultural practices have been identified as the ills militating against the success of women in politics. Lack of funds on the part of the women in politics was one major setback ,others are religion and cultural bias as indices, stunting the growth of women in politics. The Commissioner for Women Affairs in Nassarawa State, Mrs Meimuna Joyce Katai, was murdered on May 3 2003, during the House of Assembly elections; She died in an attack, which followed her attempt to prevent unidentified thugs from seizing ballot boxes at a polling unit.

We reported many cases of sexual violence against women and girls: girl raped to death by brother;15 year old student raped by schoolmates; sea pirates killed an 18 year old girl and raped women in the creeks of the Niger Delta; hoodlums invade nursing hostel and rape many; girl gang-raped to death; mother of six gang raped and buthered to death; randy robber rapes 20 women in 2 weeks;bus commuters forced into sex orgy by armed robbers; man 27, rapes two under aged sisters. Maybe in an attempt to protect women from rape, the University of Maiduguri decreed a dress code for its female students. This of course led to riots by the students, two of whom died while over a thousand suffered various types of injuries. The university was consequently shut down while security forces were drafted to maintain order. The Lagos State Univeristy has also decreed a dress code too! This of course brings into conflict our fundamental human freedoms to dress as we please, as opposed to a rigid prescribed dress code for females by Authority. The debate rages on, but however the present skimpy fashion for females makes us vulnerable in certain situations, especially in lonely and deserted places at night. Our Legal Aid Clinic represented a victim who was gang raped when walking alone on a lonely highway at 11 pm.

Widows continue to suffer discrimination and untold hardships in Nigeria following the deaths of their husbands.We reported a case of a widow and her daughter who were bathed in acid by her in laws. The plight of widows in Nigeria is pathetic, they encounter discrimination from the entire society even from other women who are custodians of these cultural beliefs.Women are generally regarded as capable of doing immense evil and so, for instance when she marries in Edo land, she is traditionally made to swear allegiance to her husband and his family. Part of the rites are oaths administered that she will not poison her husband, she will not flirt and such other averments. It is so bad that it is believed that if a child is sick, it must be as a result of the woman's flirtations. Historically in Edo land a married woman cannot exchange a handshake or a hug. The advent of Christainity changed things a bit, but these practices are still being performed today amongst the poor, the rich and even the educated. When the unfortunate happens and the husband dies, the widow's life is threatened and most times her family comes in to protect her.It is outright war! We have discussed many times on this list the ordeal widows are put through in Nigeria.The widowhood rights are a total violation of her constitutional right to human dignity. In Nigeria , three states have passed laws against punitive widowhood rites, Enugu, Edo and Oyo state but we however reported that in spite of these laws the cultural practises still go on unabated, we are yet to record a report by a widow against her in laws. I also reported a personal case of my aunt who was made to go through widowhood rites when reminded that it was illegal, she replied that she did not want to be the first widow in the state to report her inlaws to the police. Therefore, we all have to continue to lobby and advocate for the domestication of the UN CEDAW- Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women- into Nigerian law.The issue of gender persecution should not be approached on a state by state basis, our National Assemly must as a matter of duty and urgency domesticate this law for the safety and security of Nigerian women.

As the world marked the first International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other harmful traditional practices against women, Nigerians renewed their support for the eradication of such practices. A survey conducted in 2002 by a non-profit media organisation, Communicating for Change, in Abuja; Lagos, Benin and Akure showed that 88 per cent of the respondents did not support female genital mutilation, while seven percent supported the practice The Executive Director of Communicating for Change, Sandra Obiago, said the research result was an indication of Nigerian's attitudes towards the practice. She said: "So far a number of states have passed anti-female circumcision legislation, but more needed to be done to see that a national anti-FGM law was passed. This, she said should be backed by massive awareness; reorientation and retraining of traditional circumcisers and proper law enforcement. Female Circumcision popularly known as Female Genital Mutilation is a common problem in approximately 28 countries in Africa. In about 85 percent of these countries, genital mutilation takes the form of clitoridectomy, where all or part of the clitoris is removed, or excision, where all or part of the labia minora is cut. About 15 per cent of the cases of genital mutilation in Africa are of the most extreme form called infibulation which is when cliteridectomy and excision are done and the labia majora is cut to create raw surfaces which are stitched together to form a cover over the vagina, with only a small hole left to allow the escape of urine and menstrual blood. According to a national survey carried out in 1999 by Research & Marketing Services (RMS) about 40 per cent of Nigeria's female population was mutilated with the most common forms being cliteridectomy, excision and, in the North- west infibulation. The most common reason given for female genital mutilation, also called female circumcision, is that it is an important rite of passage for girls to womanhood. There is also the argument that it prevents women from being promiscuous. The effects of FGM are very grave. FGM can cause extreme pain, haemorrhage and damage to the organ surrounding the clitoris and labia. Chronic infections can occur, also intermittent bleeding, abscesses and tumors; urinary tract infections; kidney damage and stones in the bladder and urethra can occur, along with infections of the reproductive tract resulting from obstructed menstrual flow. Excessive scarring; keloids; cysts and infertility are further possible effects of FGM, which mutilated women often experience. In 1984, the Nigerian arm of the Inter-Africa Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (AIC) was set up. The AIC has had support from the Ministries of Health, Education and Information in Nigeria, while it focuses its efforts on training, campaigns and advocacy. In 1994, the United Nations came up with a Plan of Action encouraging governments to take measures to bring the practice to an end, and called FGM a human right violation and "an expression of the societal gender subordination of women. FGM was also on the agenda at the Beijing Women's Conference in 1995, and the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action called for governments to eradicate all forms of violence against women, including FGM.

We also reported that sixty four per cent of Nigerian pregnant women are exposed to risks, such women include early mothers, who are below 18 and late mothers who are more than 35 years.

Increasing poverty among women and children, rapid population growth also worsen the problem. It also listed major population problems in the country as harmful traditional practices, violation of reproductive rights, insufficient data and inadequate male involvement in reproductive health.

Cultural beliefs continue to impede against women's empowerment in Nigeria, for allegedly committing adultery which led to her husband's sickness, a woman was compelled to walk the streets of Ubulu-Uku, in Delta state, naked. Gladys Keshi was made to undergo what many would consider a brutal and barbaric act to save her husband from premature death. Inspite of her ordeal, her photograph performing the ritual was carried front page of a national daily, her husband still died.

Finally Amina Lawal was freed by a Sharia Court of Appeal in Katsina after a death by stoning penalty for adultery, which had hung over her for months. The international community, Governments, civil society organisations and the international press all stood behind her and supported the Nigerian civil society in campaigninng for her release. However the law still remains in our statute books, so another victim may soon be apprehended. Safiya Hussaini was the first victim of the Sharia Criminal law which was first introduced in Nigeria by Zamfara State in the year 2000. About 18 States in Nigeria have enacted the Sharia Criminal Law, which makes adultry punishable by death by stoning. So far in Nigeria, only females have been found guilty by the Sharia courts, while their male co-accused have been released due to lack of evidence.The proof of evidence for Adultery under the Sharia law is four male eye witnesses to the alleged adultery for the men, but for the woman, her pregnancy or subsequent birth of the child is proof that she has commited the offence.

We at Women's Rights Watch oppose the recent introduction of such gender biased laws into Nigeria as unconstitutional and a breach of our fundamental human rights to dignity, freedom from disccrimination, section 42, and a violation of section 10, which ensures the secularity of Nigeria. The states practising sharia law have imposed sharia practises on all residents of their states, irrespective of their beliefs. Consequently, public transportation is segregated, alchohol is banned, some hotels have been raided or destroyed and dress codes have been imposed in public institutions. In 2002 we reported a case where some Christian nurses have been dismissed because they refused to wear sharia compliant uniforms! Another social fallout is the increased incidences of abandoned babies by mothers who do not want to be prosecuted under the new law. We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to seek a judicial interpretation of section 10 of the constitution which enshrines the secularity of Nigeria, in the Supreme Court of Nigeria

WRW 2003.

Nogi Imoukhuede, nogi@rufarm.kabissa.org Project Coordinator, Women's Rights Watch Nigeria www.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/womensrightswatch-nigeria Please sign our petition urging the Attorney General to go to court on Sharia criminal law at http://www.petitiononline.com/wrw/petition.html Say NO to death by stoning in Nigeria