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DRAFT NIGERIAN NGO CEDAW COALITION’S POST CEDAW ADVOCACY PROGRAM

NKIRU CELINE OKORO (CENTA FOR ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT - COD)

SEPTEMBER 2008 TO DECEMBER 2008

 

 

 

The Nigerian government in 1985 signed and ratified the Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination & Violence Against Women (CEDAW) without reservations. It ratified the Optional Protocol to the convention in November 2004. By this fact,

Nigeria is obligated to periodic reporting of the progress made towards the implementation and domestication of the convention to the United Nations CEDAW review committee.

 

Between June 30 and July 10 2008, Nigeria was one of the seven/ nine countries that participated in review process in New York. Specifically, the UN CEDAW committee considered Nigeria’s sixth periodic report at its 836th and 837th meetings on July 3rd 2008 in New York the first and second being from 1986 to 1994, then 1998, and 2004.

 

The UN CEDAW review committee in August 2008 released its concluding observations from various interactions during the 6th country reporting process/program in New York. The following were identified as the principle/critical areas of concern requiring urgent interventions.

PRINCIPAL AREAS OF CONCERN AND RECOMMENDATION:

1. It is the responsibility of the federal government in Nigeria to undertake all necessary measures to ensure full implementation of CEDAW in a consistent and coherent manner across Nigeria especially in its relevant ministries, agencies and departments as well as the national and state Assemblies and the judiciary. -

Without domestication, the convention is not part of the national legal framework and its provisions are not justiciable/enforceable in Nigerian courts.

 

CEDAW domestication can be achieved through the passage of the draft bill on domestication of the Convention. Intensive advocacy is needed to hold consultations with government officials, political leaders, with a view to raising awareness and broadening understanding of the Convention, and building support for the draft bill.

 

2. Intensive media advocacy, awareness raising, involving parliamentarians, csos and the general public to enhance understanding of the convention.  is also needed over section 26 (2), which does not allow a Nigerian woman to transmit her nationality to her foreign spouse on the same and equal basis as a Nigerian man.

Other discriminatory laws at both federal and state levels include those that allow wife battery as chastisement as long as long as grievous harm is not inflicted (Section 55 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria. Furthermore, session 55 of chapter 198 of the 1990 labour Act of Nigeria prohibit women from working at night in certain sectors of employment. Sections 360 of the Criminal Code classify sexual assault against female victims as misdemeanour.

 

3. The committee notes with concern section 29 (4) of the constitution, which states that a woman is deemed to be of full age upon marriage thereby lending support to early/ child marriages.  The remaining 18 states should adopt the child rights Act 2006

 

4. It notes with concern the absence of national legislation prohibiting FGM

Other areas of concern include Violence against women, trafficking in persons, political participation and participation in public life, women’s health, economic empowerment of women, internally displaced persons, women with disabilities, BPFA< MDG,

 

 

 

POST CEDAW ADVOCACY TIMETABLE  September 2008 T0 December 2013:

 

ACTIVITY

BY WHO

BY WHEN

BUDGET

MEDIA CONTACT TO ELECTRONIC MEDIA INCLUDING:

  1. AIT,
  2. Channels,
  3. NTA: Am Express,
  4. Galaxy
  5. EKO FM/ Radio Lagos
  6. UNILAG FM
  7. Radio Continental 102.3

Nkiru Okoro (Centa for Organisational Development COD)

 

October 31, 2008

 

2. National Press Conferences in Lagos & Abuja

involving all electronic  7 print Media in Nigeria

 

 

November 2008

120, 000.00 including

Venue N50, 000

Tea Break N30, 000

Transport to Jornalists, N30, 000.00

Letters of invitation @ N10, 000.00

Follow up by Telephone

3. Articles & Opinions in various Print Media including

  1. The  Guardian
  2. This Day
  3. Champion
  4. Vanguard
  5. Compass
  6. New Age
  7. The Nation
  8. Indepnedent
  9. Sun
  10. Punch
  11. Newswatch

 

 

October-December 2008

2-3 page article on

4.Translation & Disemination of Concluding Observations of CEDAW committee into three Nigerian languages and to various net work members through list serve

 

September to December 2008

 

5. Liason with Government

 

October  to December 2008

 

 





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