The Nigeria NGO coalition shadow report to the CEDAW committee

31/07/2008
Report

The Nigerian government ratified CEDAW in 1985 without reservations. Consequently, it is bound to fulfill all obligations stated in article 2 towards the promotion of the principles of CEDAW. The situation of women’s human rights in Nigeria, however, signifies that the Nigerian Government is not carrying out its obligations as CEDAW requires. The sorry state of women’s rights in Nigeria has been attributed to the non-domestication of and non-implementation of CEDAW. Nigeria’s periodic reports should reveal the measures undertaken by the government to fulfill its obligations under the Convention including steps taken to address violations of women’s human rights in all its ramifications.

It is noted that while government in its Report, acknowledged the existence of discriminatory practices against women sustained by discriminatory legislation, policies and societal and cultural agents, it is silent in many respects on the measures it has undertaken to address these. The Nigerian official report does not reflect the true reality of Nigerian women. The need to put the situation of women’s human rights in Nigeria in proper perspective, especially before the UN CEDAW Committee, underlies this Shadow Report.

This Shadow Report, therefore, aims at presenting the true situation of women’s human rights in Nigeria to the Committee. It is intended for use also as an advocacy tool in constructively engaging the government of Nigeria over its responsibility for the protection and promotion of women’s rights in Nigeria.

This Report analyses the situation of women’s rights in Nigeria vis-à-vis each Article of CEDAW as well as other critical issues relevant to women’s human rights but not falling directly under any of the Conventions’ provisions. It further enumerates recommendations which are considered useful to the CEDAW Committee in engaging the Nigeria government during the reporting period. This, it is expected, will hasten the process of domestication and improve the implementation of the Convention in Nigeria.

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