Displaying 37176 - 37200 of 58126 recommendations found
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State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:Outcome ReportIssue:
- Harmful practices based on cultural / traditional values
- Forced marriage
- Gender equality
Type:CommentSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:N/AContents:Christian Solidarity Worldwide ... noted that, in Shari’a states, the education of underage non-Muslim girls was often cut short by abduction, forcible conversion and forced marriage and called on Nigeria to address this problem. [Para 472] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:ParaguayParaguayRegional groupGRULACPolitical groupOASOEIIssue:
- Harmful practices based on cultural / traditional values
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:RecommendationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:AcceptedContents:Step up efforts aimed at eliminating harmful cultural practices, which hamper the full respect for the human rights of women.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 26) Section 34 (1) (a) of the Constitution protects the dignity of human person by stating that every individual is entitled to respect to the dignity of his or her person and accordingly no person shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. Nigeria has implemented this recommendation through the enactment of the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015(VAPPA). This Act eliminates violence in private and public life; prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic violence; harmful traditional practices; discrimination against persons and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.
Para 38) Section 34 (1) (a) of the Constitution protects the dignity of human person by stating that every individual is entitled to respect to the dignity of his or her person and accordingly no person shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. In addition, the following legislative measures aim at combating harmful cultural practices. Legislative measures: (a) Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015; (b) … (d) Prohibition of Child trafficking by the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act 2015;
Para 98) The challenges contained in the second cycle UPR report remain the same, though the current federal and state governments are working very hard to overcome these challenges and several reforms and initiatives are yielding positive results. Some of the main challenges are: … (e) Difficulties in breaking through entrenched mind set on harmful traditional practices affecting the human rights of women and children.
UN Compilation:
Para 8) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that Nigeria had given effect to some of its treaty obligations by adopting … the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015).
Para 48) [CEDAW] was also concerned that no specific measures had been taken to eradicate polygamous relationships.
Para 65) The Special Rapporteurs on health, on sale of children and on slavery noted that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited all forms of violence and criminalized marital rape, female genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices. The Special Rapporteurs recommended that Nigeria ensure that the Act was adopted in those states that had yet to do so.
Para 67) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited female genital mutilation, which had been banned in 12 of the 36 states. The country team considered the implementation of those recommendations to be ongoing.
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State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:CanadaCanadaRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupOASOIFCommonwealthIssue:
- Early marriage
- Harmful practices based on cultural / traditional values
- Forced marriage
Type:RecommendationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:AcceptedContents:Urgently address child, early and forced marriage by putting in place legislation that clarifies the legal age for marriage, honouring commitments made in the country's last UPR to prevent and eliminate the practice.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 40) … d) The Launch of a Campaign to End Child Marriage in Nigeria and a National Strategy to End Child Marriage in Nigeria 2017-2021.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 88) JS12 expressed concern about the high rates of child marriage and the need to address the underlying factors that contributed to early marriage. JS16 stated that state legislation on the minimum age of marriage varied from state to state.
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State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:UruguayUruguayRegional groupGRULACPolitical groupOASOEIIssue:
- Birth registration
Type:RecommendationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:AcceptedContents:Step up efforts to guarantee free and compulsory birth registration for all children via public awareness-raising campaign on the importance of the registration of births. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:CzechiaCzechiaRegional groupEEGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- Criminal laws on same-sex sexual practices
Type:RecommendationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:RejectedContents:Revise laws discriminating against LGBTI persons, including refraining from signing into law any new legislation criminalizing LGBTIs.ImplementationStakeholder Summary:
Para 10) JS8 stated that … Nigeria had continued to allow the violation of the rights of the LGBT population, despite its obligations to protect those rights arising from several international human rights conventions to which it was a party.
Para 11) JS5 recalled that Nigeria had not supported any of the recommendations from the previous review that inter alia related to the repealing of those laws that discriminated based on sexual orientation and gender identity.16 Certain provisions in the Criminal Code, Penal Code and the National Law and Drug Enforcement Act had disproportionately affected gay men, … The Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act had negative consequences beyond the deprivation of marriage rights for gay men and women. JS5 stated that, under Sharia law the penalty for homosexuality was death. The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act of 2015, had done little to protect gay men, female sex workers and intravenous drug users as vulnerable populations. AFA stated that the Act was yet to be incorporated into domestic legislation in all states.
Para 12) JS8 stated that expansive provisions of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act had served to codify homophobia and transphobia. JS12 stated that the Act, which generally criminalized same sex relationships, had created additional criminal offences that targeted persons based on their sexual orientation. JS8 stated that the Act had effectively legalized discrimination and had allowed people to act with impunity. Since its enactment there had been an increase in crimes and human rights violations against LGBT persons and their defenders. JS13 stated that the Act and other discriminatory laws had been used to subject the LGBT community to violations including invasion of privacy, assault and battery, black mail and extortion, denial of access to amenities and education.
Para 13) Referring to a relevant study, JS12 noted a significant increase in fear in seeking healthcare services by men who had sex with men after the enactment of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (2014). JS13 stated that sections 5(2) and (3) of the Act had hindered access to Anti-Retroviral Vaccines, HIV testing and counselling services. JS8 stated that LGBT persons had experienced difficulties in accessing health care services. The denial of such services would have a negative impact on Nigeria’s progress towards HIV eradication.
Para 15) JS5 stated that gay men, … had experienced significant discrimination, influenced by traditional culture as well as religious moral values.
Para 64) JS13 stated that LGBT persons had been subjected to forced, violent and arbitrary evictions.
Para 75) JS8 stated that homophobic bullying in schools had proven to be a serious impairment to adequate access to education. There had also been a failure to provide comprehensive and inclusive education on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
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State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Sexual exploitation / slavery
- Trafficking in women and / or girls
Type:Review DocumentationSession:16th session, May 2013Status:Reference AddressedContents:CRC urged Nigeria to (a) protect children from trafficking and sale; (b) improve the situation of children who were at risk, especially girls; and (c) investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators. [Para 31] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Gender equality
Type:Review DocumentationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:Reference AddressedContents:UNESCO called for measures to combat discrimination in education and to promote gender equality in education. [Para 58] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:Stakeholder SummaryIssue:
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:Review DocumentationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:NeglectedContents:JS 9 stated that in the Niger Delta the number of women in elected positions fall below the thirty-five per cent benchmark stipulated in the National Gender Policy promoting the participation of women in public affairs. [Para 83] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:National ReportIssue:
- Rights of same-sex desiring persons
Type:Review DocumentationSession:4th session, February 2009Status:N/AContents:Sexual minorities are not visible in Nigeria, and there is no officially registered association of gay and lesbians. No sexual minority or their representatives attended the Forum. However, in spite of this the issue was brought up at the Forum, and the views of more than 90 per cent of the participants was that Gay-Lesbian relationship or same-sex marriage was not a human rights issue in Nigeria. The laws of Nigeria recognize marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. However, like every democracy, those who want a change in the existing laws have to come out and lobby for the change they desire. [Para 76] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Gender equality
Type:Review DocumentationSession:4th session, February 2009Status:NeglectedContents:CERD remained concerned that members of ethnic communities of the Muslim faith, in particular, Muslim women, could be subjected to harsher sentences than other Nigerians. [Para 17] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:Stakeholder SummaryIssue:
- International human rights instruments
- Gender equality
Type:Review DocumentationSession:4th session, February 2009Status:Reference AddressedContents:Nigeria's CSO Coalition on the Universal Periodic Review joint submission indicated that Nigeria has neither "domesticated" CEDAW nor implemented the Beijing Platform for Action ... [Para 2] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:Stakeholder SummaryIssue:
- Maternal health / morbidity / mortality
Type:Review DocumentationSession:4th session, February 2009Status:NeglectedContents:It also indicated that the risks of maternal death are even greater for Nigerian women in the northern region of the country, for rural women, low income women and women without formal education; the majority of these deaths being preventable. NHRC expressed similar concerns. [Para 50] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:ItalyItalyRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- Intersex persons' rights
- Women's and / or girls' rights
- Rights of same-sex desiring persons
- Transgender persons' rights
Type:RecommendationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:Unclear ResponseContents:Adopt measures to combat all forms of discrimination, especially against women and LGBTI persons.ExplanationNoted. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:NetherlandsNetherlandsRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:RecommendationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:AcceptedContents:Prioritize the full and effective implementation and reinforcement of international human rights instruments, such as the CEDAW by using domestic mechanisms, including the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:GabonGabonRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICOIFIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
Type:RecommendationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:AcceptedContents:Ensure greater access to justice for women and girls who are victims of violence. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:DjiboutiDjiboutiRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICALOIFIssue:
- Gender equality
Type:RecommendationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:AcceptedContents:Continue and strengthen measures to ensure equal access to quality education for all, especially for girls. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:NorwayNorwayRegional groupWEOGIssue:
- Harmful practices based on cultural / traditional values
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Sexual violence
- Women's and / or girls' rights
- Sexual and / or reproductive rights and / or health broadly
Type:RecommendationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:AcceptedContents:Protect and promote the rights of women and girls, including by enhancing reproductive health, ending harmful traditional practices and take concrete measures against sexual and gender-based violence. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:KenyaKenyaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUCommonwealthIssue:
- Early marriage
Type:RecommendationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:AcceptedContents:Continue with the legal, administrative and policy measures to completely eradicate early child marriages. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:CanadaCanadaRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupOASOIFCommonwealthIssue:
- Discrimination based on sexual orientation
- Gender equality
- Rights of same-sex desiring persons
Type:RecommendationSession:4th session, February 2009Status:Unclear ResponseContents:That Nigeria's President and National Assembly not approve the "Same Gender Marriage Bill" and eliminate all existing legislation that discriminates based on gender and sexual orientation.ExplanationNigeria does not accept this recommendation because same-sex marriage is against its national values. Recent polling data suggests that 92% of Nigerians support the Anti Same-Sex Marriage Bill passed by the Senate.
The Marriage Act defines marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. Christianity and Islam, which are the major religions in Nigeria, also recognize marriage as relationship between a man and woman. Same-sex marriage is not in the culture of Nigerians.
Sexual and gender minorities are not visible in Nigeria and there is no officially registered association of gays and lesbians. In writing this report, a consultation and validation process was held with various stakeholders where the issue of same-sex marriage was brought up, and the general view of the participants was that same-sex marriage was not a human rights issue in Nigeria.ImplementationStakeholder Summary:
Para 35) CHRI stated that in November 2012, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a second reading of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill. If this Bill is passed it would further entrench discrimination against persons based on sexual orientation. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Women's and / or girls' rights
Type:Review DocumentationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:Not Followed up with a RecommendationContents:CEDAW recommended that Nigeria intensify its efforts to rescue all women and girls abducted by Boko Haram insurgents, ensure their rehabilitation and integration into society and provide them and their families with access to psychosocial and other rehabilitative services. [Para 30] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:UN CompilationIssue:
- Sexual harassment
Type:Review DocumentationSession:4th session, February 2009Status:NeglectedContents:Noted the prevalence of sexual harassment in the workplace and the absence of legislation and measures to address this. [Para 46; CEDAW] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:Stakeholder SummaryIssue:
- Women's and / or girls' rights
- Other
Type:Review DocumentationSession:31st Session, November 2018Status:Not Followed up with a RecommendationContents:JS3 stated that kidnapping for ransom had risen. There had been a spike in kidnappings on the Kaduna-Abuja road, despite a large security deployment. Furthermore, of the 276 female students who had been abducted from the Government Secondary school in Chibok in 2014, 113 girls had been unaccounted for. In February 2018, 110 girls had been abducted from the Government Girls Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State, 105 of who had since been returned. Five girls had reportedly died. [Para 34] -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:Outcome ReportIssue:
- Gender equality
Type:CommentSession:4th session, February 2009Status:N/AContents:Foster intercultural and interreligious dialogue to combat religious intolerance against women in the northern provinces. -
State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:IrelandIrelandRegional groupWEOGPolitical groupEUIssue:
- Harmful practices based on cultural / traditional values
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
- Female genital mutilation / cutting
Type:RecommendationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:AcceptedContents:Introduce laws against female genital mutilation in all states, takes steps to ensure access to justice for women who are victims of violence; and that the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill is passed by the Senate.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 24) Nigeria had enacted the following laws to incorporate the international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party: (a) Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 (VAPP);
Para 26) Section 34 (1) (a) of the Constitution protects the dignity of human person by stating that every individual is entitled to respect to the dignity of his or her person and accordingly no person shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. Nigeria has implemented this recommendation through the enactment of the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015(VAPPA). This Act eliminates violence in private and public life; prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic violence; harmful traditional practices; discrimination against persons and provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders.
Para 27) The Constitution guarantees access to justice for everyone, and provides for pro bono legal assistance to indigent persons in the enforcement of their fundamental rights. VAPPA is already a law that is being implemented in Nigeria. This law provides access to justice for women who are victims of violence, ensures that perpetrators of the crime are punished and remedies are provided to the victims and those affected.
Para 38) Section 34 (1) (a) of the Constitution protects the dignity of human person by stating that every individual is entitled to respect to the dignity of his or her person and accordingly no person shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. In addition, the following legislative measures aim at combating harmful cultural practices. Legislative measures: (a) Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015;
Para 64) Section 42 of the Constitution guarantees and protects the rights of women from discrimination. Under section 46 (1) of the Constitution, women who are victims of violence and discrimination may apply to a High Court for redress by way of fundamental rights enforcement proceedings in the event of the application of any law that allows violence and discrimination against them. In addition, government enacted the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
Para 65) The Act seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices, discriminations against persons and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. Under the ACJA, women can now stand as sureties for any applicant or defendant for the purpose of admitting the person to bail. Hitherto this was not possible.
UN Compilation:
Para 8) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that Nigeria had given effect to some of its treaty obligations by adopting … the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015).
Para 35) … CEDAW remained concerned at reports that access to justice for women was often impeded by insufficient budget allocations for legal aid, alleged corruption and stereotyping within the judiciary.
Para 65) The Special Rapporteurs on health, on sale of children and on slavery noted that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited all forms of violence and criminalized marital rape, female genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices. The Special Rapporteurs recommended that Nigeria ensure that the Act was adopted in those states that had yet to do so.
Para 67) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited female genital mutilation, which had been banned in 12 of the 36 states. The country team considered the implementation of those recommendations to be ongoing.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 77) Referring to relevant supported recommendations from the previous review, JS1 stated that in 2015, the laws on gender-based violence had been consolidated into the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, which broadly covers physical, psychological, economic, and sexual violence, including rape, as well as harmful traditional practices. However, the Act was only in force in the federal capital and that several states did not have specific laws prohibiting sexual and gender based violence. Moreover, Section 55 of the Penal Code, which was in force in the North, specifically allowed husbands to discipline their wives.
Para 78) WRAHP stated that domestic violence and gender-based violence had been on an increase and that the relevant authorities had not given adequate attention to the issue. JS16 stated that domestic violence remained underreported for reasons that included the existence of a culture of silence and the turning away of victims at police stations on the grounds that such a matter was a family affair.
Para 80) PRAWA stated that female genital mutilation was a common practice in many states in Nigeria. Such a practice was an abuse of the rights of victims to reproductive health and in severe cases could lead to their death. The Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015) recognizes female genital mutilation as an offence. However, according to PJ, the legislation had not been effectively implemented. JS10 stated that there had been a low rate of prosecution for alleged acts of female genital mutilation.
Para 83) CITAD expressed concern by the persistent threats, harassments, intimidations and attacks on women internet users. It expressed alarm by the failure of the government to protect women from gender-based violence on line.
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State Under Review:NigeriaNigeriaRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICCommonwealthSource Of Reference:BeninBeninRegional groupAfrica GroupPolitical groupAUOICOIFIssue:
- Gender equality
- Violence against women / gender-based violence
Type:RecommendationSession:17th session, November 2013Status:AcceptedContents:Step up actions to tackle violence and discrimination against women.ImplementationNational Report:
Para 24) Nigeria had enacted the following laws to incorporate the international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a party: (a) Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015 (VAPP);
Para 38) Section 34 (1) (a) of the Constitution protects the dignity of human person by stating that every individual is entitled to respect to the dignity of his or her person and accordingly no person shall be subjected to inhuman or degrading treatment. In addition, the following legislative measures aim at combating harmful cultural practices. Legislative measures: (a) Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015;
Para 64) Section 42 of the Constitution guarantees and protects the rights of women from discrimination. Under section 46 (1) of the Constitution, women who are victims of violence and discrimination may apply to a High Court for redress by way of fundamental rights enforcement proceedings in the event of the application of any law that allows violence and discrimination against them. In addition, government enacted the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act.
Para 65) The Act seeks to eliminate violence in private and public life, prohibit all forms of violence including physical, sexual, psychological, domestic, harmful traditional practices, discriminations against persons and to provide maximum protection and effective remedies for victims and punishment of offenders. Under the ACJA, women can now stand as sureties for any applicant or defendant for the purpose of admitting the person to bail. Hitherto this was not possible.
UN Compilation:
Para 8) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that Nigeria had given effect to some of its treaty obligations by adopting … the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act (2015).
Para 12) CEDAW expressed concern that the prohibition of discrimination in section 42 of the Constitution did not comprise a comprehensive definition of discrimination in line with article 1 of the CEDAW.
Para 46) CEDAW was concerned that, under section 26 (2) (a) of the Constitution, Nigerian women married to foreign men could not transmit their nationality to their husbands, unlike Nigerian men married to foreign women. It was also concerned that section 29 (4) (b) on citizenship renunciation legitimized child marriage, as it recognized any woman who was married to be of full age for the purposes of renunciation of citizenship.
Para 47) CEDAW was concerned that while sections 218 and 357 of the Criminal Code protected girls under 13 years of age from forced sexual intercourse, section 6 excluded the applicability of those provisions to girls of the same age in customary law marriages.
Para 48) [CEDAW] was also concerned that no specific measures had been taken to eradicate polygamous relationships.
Para 49) [CEDAW] remained concerned about discriminatory provisions in the Labour Act (1990), the Factories Act (1987) and the Police Regulations (1968), which prohibited the employment of women in night work and the recruitment of married women to the police and required women police officers to make a written request for permission to marry.
Para 65) The Special Rapporteurs on health, on sale of children and on slavery noted that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited all forms of violence and criminalized marital rape, female genital mutilation, forceful ejection from home and harmful widowhood practices. The Special Rapporteurs recommended that Nigeria ensure that the Act was adopted in those states that had yet to do so.
Para 67) Referring to the relevant recommendations from the previous review, the United Nations country team stated that the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act prohibited female genital mutilation, which had been banned in 12 of the 36 states. The country team considered the implementation of those recommendations to be ongoing.
Para 69) UNFPA stated that the humanitarian emergency in insurgency-affected states in north-east Nigeria had significantly impacted on the lives of women and girls with increased displacement, threats of and exposure to gender-based violence, challenges obtaining and utilizing life-saving services and rising incidence of domestic violence. The Government had established a gender-based violence coordination mechanism to address those issues.
Para 70) The Special Rapporteurs on health, on sale of children and on slavery stated that, while all women and girls who experienced sexual violence during the insurgency faced stigmatization, the stigma and rejection from families and communities was greater for those who were perceived to have been associated with Boko Haram as abductees, those living in Boko Haram controlled areas or those who had been compelled and forced to become “wives” of Boko Haram insurgents. Often referred to by communities as “Boko Haram wives” or “Sambisa women”, they were shunned and marginalized, even in camps for internally displaced persons.
Para 72) [CEDAW] was concerned that section 55 of the Criminal Code permitted wife battery as chastisement as long as no grievous bodily harm was inflicted.
Para 73) [CEDAW] was concerned that women owned less than 7.2 per cent of the total land mass in Nigeria and that their land rights in rural areas were not guaranteed.
Stakeholder Summary:
Para 76) JS15 stated that Nigeria had failed to address traditional practices that had hampered gender equality. Discrimination started even before the birth of a girl. Education of boys had been prioritised over that of girls and girls were denied the right to inherit property.
Para 77) Referring to relevant supported recommendations from the previous review, JS1 stated that in 2015, the laws on gender-based violence had been consolidated into the Violence against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, which broadly covers physical, psychological, economic, and sexual violence, including rape, as well as harmful traditional practices. However, the Act was only in force in the federal capital and that several states did not have specific laws prohibiting sexual and gender based violence. Moreover, Section 55 of the Penal Code, which was in force in the North, specifically allowed husbands to discipline their wives.
Para 78) WRAHP stated that domestic violence and gender-based violence had been on an increase and that the relevant authorities had not given adequate attention to the issue. JS16 stated that domestic violence remained underreported for reasons that included the existence of a culture of silence and the turning away of victims at police stations on the grounds that such a matter was a family affair.
Para 79) JS13 referred to relevant supported recommendations from the previous review and stated that although there had been enactment of progressive laws, harmful gender norms, cultural practices and discriminatory laws had persisted. In several communities, women had been barred from owning immovable property or from renting a house.
Para 83) CITAD expressed concern by the persistent threats, harassments, intimidations and attacks on women internet users. It expressed alarm by the failure of the government to protect women from gender-based violence on line.