Perhaps no other topic could have ignited so much passion and contributions from participants such as the one which the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Lagos Branch chose for its two-day international bar conference which was held last week at the Nigerian Institute for International Affairs, Lagos.
Themed: ‘Challenges in upholding the rights of women and children,’ one would have thought the gathering would discuss mainly political rights and governance issues, but its focus was wider.
The discussions on the topic turned out to be centred mostly on women’s health and their rights with emphasis on their threatened reproductive rights.
It was obvious from various presentations that the Nigerian woman has numerous challenges confronting her all through life but her reproductive rights seem to suffer attacks often.
Different speakers took time to discuss the issues that challenge the reproductive health of women and how children take their cue from the environment in which the woman has found herself to be the chief reason for a compromised life.
According to the Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Professor Pamela Enemo, who spoke on ‘Rethinking Gender Equality: A case for complementarity’ and Mrs. Anayo Offiah, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who spoke on ‘Economic and Political Empowerment of Women and the Law in Nigeria’, the society has really downplayed on the role of women by allowing the environment to erode into their rights the laws permit, thus compromising the opportunities based on gender equity through certain statues and customs.
According to Enemo, “All the discriminatory laws in the land are not in accordance with Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution which does not allow discrimination; thus women competing with the malefolk over rights issues is uncalled for,” she argued.
Offiah opposed the series of campaigns in support of legalising abortion, saying, “The culture of our forebears forbids it and so must not be allowed to be corroded.”
The Lagos NBA chairman noted that the measure of how well a society advances is hinged on how well its vulnerable citizens fared, particularly the women.
“In the third world, the women and children bear the brunt of economic woes, failed marriages, child labour, sex trade, children soldiers among others and we in the NBA think it is time the world leaders rise up to face these challenges to give the women a fair share in their reproductive health.”
First Lady, Patience Goodluck Jonathan, who was represented by the wife of the Vice President, Aminat Namadi Sambo, insisted that the various rights accrued to the Nigerian woman should be accorded the right atmosphere to flourish by everyone.
She urged all Nigerian women to guard and protect every right that accrues to them including social and reproductive rights and prevent societal ills or expectations that limit them in any way.
She pointed out that the Nigerian woman is still caught in the web of culture and is unable to fully achieve her potentials, urging a level playing ground for every woman because she is made to fulfil a purpose in life beyond reproduction.
Two of the foreign speakers at the event however caught so much attention with their presentations during the two- day programme.
President, Family Watch International, Sharon Slater, and Chief Executive, Think Marriage, United States, Susan Dutton Freund, spoke extensively on the institution of marriage and reproductive health rights of women and how Nigerians need to guard against foreign intrusion.
In Slater’s opinion, the African concept of the family is very unique and the idea of procreation is equally one that distinguishes Africa from the rest of the world.
Slater, who spoke on ‘Human Right Gone Awry: Myths and Facts Regarding Internationally Recognised Human Rights with Implications for Women and Children,’ noted, “You care deeply about family in Africa and we understand Nigeria has even adopted the concept of four children to a woman; this is great, because in some Asian countries families are now being paid to have children as there are shortfalls in number of younger ones to replace the ageing population.
“We at Family Watch would advise that you allow your women to have all their children, love them and don’t allow any Western influence to kill your children in the name of abortion or under the guise of reproductive rights; its one of the worst values to import from the western world. Invest in your children and replace them as you wish; we advocate explosion rather than implosion”, she postulated.
Slater, who is a mother of four, equally frowned at teaching young children about sexuality education, saying, “Certain things should not be taught young children as it makes them curious to know more outside marriage and leaves nothing for marriage and family”.
Freund on the other hand in her presentation entitled: ‘Protection against the violation of the rights of the child,’ postulates that every child deserves the right to be told and taught what he or she needs to know.
She pointed out that though almost half of the marriages contracted in the U.S. in recent years have ended up in divorce and that the country now has a high number of unwedded childbirths to women less than 20 years, most of which she attributed to cohabitation and not legal marriages.
“We at Think Marriage believe in the institution of marriage and the sanctity of the institution and would not advocate that any child be raised outside wedlock because studies have shown that divorce or separations affect the child the most.”
Freund urged Nigerian legislatures to be wary of laws that would jeopardise the rights of the child rather make laws that would promote the woman as well as treat the child fairly and equally as a human being.
“Premarital education to our girl child and young adults would certainly reduce rates of divorce. We need to teach the youth love relationships to stop bad marriages before it begins as well as teach romantic relationships. We need to put sexuality in its right perspective and teach them what they need to know because good information about relationships is a sure step to keep the family strong.”