18.08.2008 - Source: BBC News

Bauchi State: Authorities of the city of Bauchi target sex workers who participated in a Red Cross Census ("Sex workers 'targeted' in Nigeria") [ID 24489]

Document(s): Open document

31.07.2008 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Shadow Report of Nigerian NGOs on the discrimination of women ("The Nigeria NGO coalition shadow report to the CEDAW committee") [ID 24488]

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Violance against women remained pervasive ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 24174]

"In January, the Federal Minister of Women’s Affairs expressed the government’s intention to promote gender equality as well as the welfare and rights of Nigerian women and children. However, violence against women remained pervasive, including domestic violence, rape and other sexual violence by state officials and private individuals. The underlying factors included the entrenched culture of impunity for human rights violations committed by the police and security forces, and the authorities’ consistent failure to exercise due diligence in preventing and addressing sexual violence by both state and non-state actors."

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Bills to prevent discrimination and violance against women failed to become law at federal level ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 24175]

"In May a bill to implement the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women failed to pass in the National Assembly. Nigeria ratified the Convention in 1985. The Domestic Violence and Other Related Matters Bill was passed by the Lagos House of Assembly. At federal level, a bill addressing domestic violence failed to become law."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Women underrepresented in official state positions ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23729]

"Although there were more than 500 ministerial and National Assembly positions, there were only six female ministers, nine female senators, and 27 female representatives at year's end."

Document(s): Open document

11.03.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Prostitution was pervasive in 2007 and keeps being criminalized especially in states with sharia law ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2007") [ID 23737]

"Prostitution was pervasive, particularly in urban areas. There are statutes at both the federal and state levels criminalizing prostitution. All states that had adopted Shari'a had criminalized prostitution, and this ban was enforced with varying degrees of success. The police frequently used the antiprostitution statutes as tools for harassment, arresting offenders and holding them until they paid a bribe, but rarely prosecuting the cases in court. Corporate prostitution--the hiring of women as corporate employees in the formal sector to perform sexual acts to attract or retain clients to a company‑‑was a problem, particularly in the banking industry."

Document(s): Open document

27.02.2008 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

Situation of single mothers without relatives ("a-5940-2 (ACC-NGA-5964)") [ID 23063]

Document(s): Open document

10.2007 - Source: Konrad Adenauer Stiftung

Analysis on the implementation of UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Nigeria: Promotion of gender equality and strengthening of the role of women ("Newsletter aus Nigeria (Ausgabe 1)") [ID 22049]

"Die Analyse dieses Zieles bedarf eigentlich einer Unterscheidung Nigerias in Nord und Süd, da die Zahlen innerhalb des Landes zum Teil weit auseinander gehen. Insgesamt betrachtet, ist die Rate der Mädchen (pro 100 Jungen) in der Grundschul- sowie Sekundarausbildung 81% und in der Hochschulausbildung 72%. Zudem ist der Anteil der Frauen bei der Lohnarbeit außerhalb des Landwirtschaftssektors auf 79% angestiegen. Ein Bereich, in dem die Frauen immer noch weit unterrepräsentiert sind, ist das Parlament. 2005 stellten die Frauen hier nur einen Anteil von 5,76% dar - angestrebtes Ziel für 2015 sind 30%. Immerhin ist seit der Wahl im Mai 2007 eine Frau Präsidentin des neu gewählten Parlaments.

Bereits umgesetzte Strategien zur Erreichung dieses Ziels sind u.a. die Strategy for Acceleration of Girls’ Education in Nigeria (SAGEN), die Child Friendly Initiative und die National Policy on Women (2000). Trotzdem muss der politische Wille, die Geschlechterungleichheiten zu reduzieren, entschieden gestärkt werden, so die NPC in ihrem Bericht."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Culture of impunity against the police and security forces committing violence against women is prevalent ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20167]

"Violence against women, including domestic violence and sexual violence by state officials and private individuals, remained pervasive. Underlying factors included the entrenched culture of impunity for human rights violations committed by the police and security forces, and the authorities' consistent failure to exercise due diligence in preventing and addressing sexual violence by both state and non-state actors."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

In August a Bill to incorporate the UN Women's Convention in domestic law was presented to the Senate, but no further progress was made ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20168]

"In August a Bill to incorporate the UN Women's Convention in domestic law was presented to the Senate. No further progress was made by the end of the year. The Domestic Violence and Other Related Matters Bill, which was debated by the Lagos House of Assembly, had not become law by the end of the year."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Federal Government announced the introduction of 2 Bills improving the situation of women ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20169]

"In December the Federal Government announced the introduction of a Bill on reform of discriminatory laws against women and a Bill on elimination of violence from society, which would cover all forms of violence including domestic violence."

Document(s): Open document

12.03.2007 - Source: UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Effective mechanisms to enforce prohibitions of discrimination against women are absent ("Special Rapporteur on Torture Concludes Visit to Nigeria [HR/07/35]") [ID 20794]

"On the occasion of International Women's Day, which this year draws attention to violence against women and girls, and the impunity that makes it possible, the Special Rapporteur welcomes the adoption of a number of State laws prohibiting discrimination against women in critical areas, such as female genital mutilation and early marriage. Despite such legislation, however, he remains concerned that these practices and social acceptance of them persist, and that effective mechanisms to enforce the prohibitions are absent."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

In parts of the North women are secluded from unrelated men according to the Islamic cultural practice of Purdah ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19705]

"Purdah, the Islamic cultural practice of secluding women and pubescent girls from unrelated men, continued in various parts of the north. Although women's movement was restricted during daylight hours, many women pursued economic and social activities outside the home in the evening. As a result of decades of cultural mixing, purdah was also widely practiced by many non-Muslims in the north."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Prostitution, which is criminalised, remains a problem ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19932]

"Prostitution was a serious problem, particularly in urban areas. There are statutes at both the federal and state levels criminalizing prostitution. All states that had adopted Shari'a had criminalized prostitution, and this ban was enforced with varying degrees of success. The police frequently used the antiprostitution statutes as tools for harassment, arresting offenders and holding them until they paid a bribe, but rarely prosecuting the cases in court."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

According to a survey women had control ovwer their income; men largely controlled children's and women's health care ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19935]

"The NDHS survey showed that women had significant control over the income they generated (73.4 percent made sole decisions on how such income was to be used), but that men largely controlled decisions regarding areas such as children's and women's own health care."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Women remain marginalised ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19936]

"Although some women made considerable individual progress in both the academic and business worlds, women overall remained marginalized. Although women were not legally barred from owning land, under some customary land tenure systems only men could own land, and women could gain access to land only through marriage or family. In addition many customary practices did not recognize a woman's right to inherit her husband's property, and many widows were rendered destitute when their in-laws took virtually all of the deceased husband's property."

Document(s): Open document

06.03.2007 - Source: US Department of State

Polygyny is legal and practiced widely ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2006") [ID 19937]

"Polygyny is legal and continued to be practiced widely among many ethnic and religious groups."

Document(s): Open document

27.02.2004 - Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Query response on the existence among the Yoruba of a ritual done to women to restore the virginity they would have lost prior to marriage; if so, a description and the state protection available to those who refuse to perform this ritual (February 2004) ("Existence among the Yoruba of a ritual done to women to restore the virginity they would have lost prior to marriage; if so, a description and the state protection available to those who refuse to perform this ritual (February 2004) [NGA42319.E]") [ID 24527]

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Forced marriages are common in Nigeria ("Country Report - October 2003") [#17332],  [ID 15168]

"6.109 [...] Forced marriages are common in Nigeria, especially in the north of the country. There has been a recent application to the Jos High Court from a 19-year-old to prevent her father forcing her into an arranged marriage."

Document(s): Open document

14.10.2002 - Source: Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs: Situation of women ("Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken: Algemeen Ambtsbericht Nigeria / september 2002") [#9305],  [ID 15173]

translation:

"De positie van vrouwen in Nigeria is, zoals in veel ontwikkelingslanden, niet
rooskleurig te noemen. Nigeria is partij bij de Conventie voor de Uitbanning van
alle vormen van Discriminatie van Vrouwen en het verbod op discriminatie is in
de Grondwet opgenomen.
Vrouwen zijn in alle geledingen van de samenleving actief, zij het dat ze op hoge
posten (overheid en bedrijfsleven) ondervertegenwoordigd zijn. Er is een aantal
vrouwen dat actief deelneemt aan het politieke leven; het land kent verscheidene
vrouwelijke ministers. Er zijn geen officiële kleding- of gedragscodes voor
vrouwen, anders dan die welke traditioneel of religieus bepaald zijn. Vrouwen
kunnen de bescherming van de autoriteiten inroepen c.q. aangifte doen tegen
geweld of discriminatie. Die mogelijkheid wordt in de praktijk vaak begrensd door
traditionele normen van wat als toelaatbaar wordt gezien, alsook door de kosten
van een gang naar de rechter.
Vrouwen zijn juridisch handelingsbekwaam en kunnen zelfstandig een
reisdocument aanvragen. De aanvraagprocedure is voor mannen en vrouwen
gelijk. Vrouwen behoeven niet de toestemming van hun echtgenoot om een
paspoort aan te vragen.
De overheid heeft zich uitgesproken tegen een aantal 'schadelijke traditionele
praktijken', waaronder vrouwenbesnijdenis (female genital mutilation, FGM), en
steunt, samen met non-gouvernementele organisaties, bewustwordingsprojecten
over de gevaren van FGM. Deze praktijk is nog altijd wijdverbreid in (delen van)
Nigeria maar zeker niet universeel38. Hierbij zijn met name regionale verschillen
van belang. Het percentage vrouwen dat FGM heeft ondergaan in de noordelijke
deelstaat Yobe wordt geschat op 0,6% tegen 98,7% in de zuidelijke deelstaat"

Document(s): Open document
minbuza-ngr-0902.pdf

1998 - Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

Report on women's reproductive rights in Nigeria ("Women's Reproductive Rights in Nigeria") [#15783],  [ID 15346]

Document(s): Open document