From Tom Garba, Yola
Women in Northern Nigeria have said the refusal by most northern states to enact legislation that will promote gender equality and equal opportunities for women, especially the domestication of the Child Rights Act, was borne out of the fear that legislation could be relied upon to get redress in courts by the girl-child when such rights are infringed upon.
The women said religious and cultural practices in Northern Nigeria, which are largely to blame for confining the girl-child and most women to their traditional roles as mothers and housewives, still remain part of the biggest hurdles confronting the emancipation of women in the region.
The women, who are participating in a European Union-funded programme in partnership with the Nigerian government on the theme, “Promoting women’s engagement in peace and security in Northern Nigeria”, held Tuesday, in Yola, stated this even as they deplored the conditions of the women folk in the North East region.
The programme, organized under the auspices of UN women brought together various women representatives from the the selected Northern states of Adamawa, Gombe and Plateau to brainstorm on the challenges confronting women in the region.
It has the objectives of promoting women’s engagement in peace building, protection services for women and girls against human rights abuses as well as carving greater roles for them in the conflict management process.
Hajia Halima Hayatu a former commissioner of women affairs and social development in Adamawa State, admonished their male counterparts in the region not to misconstrue the demands by the women folk from the region for equality as an avenue for competition with them.
Her words: “We are not competing for space with our husbands, but what we demand is equal rights to actualize our goals as women with their support”.
She recalled that during her time as commissioner, many legislators who opposed the domestication of Child Rights Act in the state under the erstwhile administration of former Gov. Murtala Nyako told her in confidence that they did not want to pass a law that their children will rely on to take them to court.
Others, she said, were afraid not to enact any piece of legislation, which, according to them, would give the female folk so much rights that they would override them.
She therefore noted that reluctance of most northern states to enact legislations bordering on gender equality and equal opportunities for women was borne out of fear of retribution.
Her words: “It is just fear. The fear from the men is that they don’t want their female children to take them to courts and therefore they query why a woman should be given such rights under the laws. So one of the fears is that the woman will have so manyrights that they would override them,” Halima said.
Maisaratu Bello, permanent Secretary, Adamawa state Ministry of the Women Affairs noted that until recently the girl-child lacked the education and awareness to assist her take part in activities outside of the home. The problem, she however stressed, was traceable to the influence of religious and cultural practices in the region.
According to her, the absence of a proper education and awareness denied a lot of women from the region from taking part in activities conducted outside of the home.
The women also rallied themselves to speak up against abuses on women, the girl-child and to stop the discrimination and hatred for one another, stressing the need to embrace unity since they are the most vulnerable in the society whether in peacetime or conflict.
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