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Tag: International Federation of Women Lawyers

  • FIDA urges NASS to pass Gender Equality Bill

    FIDA urges NASS to pass Gender Equality Bill

    The International Federation of Women Lawyers ( FIDA ) has urged the National Assembly to pass the Gender Equality Bill into law to curb gender-based violence in the country.

    Mrs Ngozi Ikenga, Chairperson of FIDA in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), made the plea in an interview in Abuja on Monday.

    “The bill on gender equality should be passed into law. I am appealing to the National Assembly to look at that bill again and pass it into law.

    “Women need to be brought into the scheme of things in this country, let the interest of women be covered both in the Constitution and other forms of laws in the country.

    “We have been clamouring for this Gender Equality Bill to be passed into law but it always met brick wall, frustration and all of that.

    Read also: Lagos govt reiterates commitment to gender equality

    “Women should have their own place both in the constitution and in anything that concerns us in this country, because we are human beings and living in the same country,’’ she said.

    Ikenga said FIDA was happy over the enactment of the Violent Against Persons Prohibition ( VAPP ) Act, 2015, but regrettable that only the FCT and Anambra had domesticated the law.

    She said FIDA was discussing with other state branches to lobby their state Assemblies to domesticate the Act.

    “The VAAP Act covers all areas of violence: domestic violence, sexual violence, rape and all forms of violence.

    “We are so happy that they expanded gender issues in the Act. Domestication is paramount.

    “If all states in the country domesticate this Act, there will be no hiding place for perpetrators of violence.

    “That is why we are lobbying all states to domesticate it,’’ she said.

    On issue of rape, Ikenga urged victims including physically challenged, to first report the matter to a government-approved hospital, before going to the police.

    According to her, a victim of rape needs to show evidence that she was raped and the police would as carry out their own medical examination and investigation.

    She said, “Sometimes, the reports from the Police angle may be compromised.

    “You may be delayed and the specimen for evidence has a life span and you need evidence in the case.

    “This way, it is better, so that you do not have a situation where they will take the sample and say somebody mistakenly throws it away. You already have one in hand.

    “The hospital reports will carry more weight in court. So, there is no harm in going to the hospital first to arm yourselves with results before going to the law enforcement agency.’’

    NAN

  • Female lawyers fault Senate’s rejection of Gender Bill

    Female lawyers in the country have faulted the decision by the Senate rejecting the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill‎.

    The lawyers, under the auspices of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria, accused the Senate of not being women friendly, in view of its alleged penchant for treating feminine issues with levity.

    FIDA, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Mrs. Inime Aguma urged the Senate to always treat issues that concern women with the seriousness it deserves.

    “There would be no Senate without women. We can no longer afford to have citizens who cannot participate effectively in Governance because of discriminatory practices.”

    ‎The group noted that the Senate rejected the bill at a time when the country’s economy was in ruins and it requires the participation of all her citizenry to nurture the country back to her feet.

    FIDA urged well meaning Nigerians and Civil Society organisations (CSOs) to support the sponsors of the Bill to enable them represent the Bill and ensure its passage.

    “On the 16th day of March 2016,  the second reading of the  bill for Gender Equality and equal opportunities was on the Agenda at the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    ‎”Unfortunately this bill which addressed all discriminatory practices against women was thrown out.

    “No.5 of the Sustainable Development Goals seeks to ‘achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls’.

    “The United Nations in further recognition of the importance of women’s participation in the socio- economic and political activities of any Nation chose the following themes for the International Women’s day and the United Nations consultative forum on women (holding now in New York) respectively to wit:  ‘planet 50-50 by 2030: step it up for gender equality’ and ‘women empowerment and it’s link to sustainable development ‘.

    “These themes are meant to draw global attention on the need by States parties,  to step  up  gender equality and empower all women and girls.

    “FIDA Nigeria has observed that the Nigerian Senate has decided to think differently from the world.

    “First the theme for the International Women’s day was trivialized to mean ‘men taking more than one wife’.

    “Now, the Equal Opportunities bill has been voted down on reasons that bother on religion and traditions underscoring the need to create a level playing field where women are gainfully engaged in Nation building and development.

    “The issue raised by one of the Senators that the Constitution guarantees the Rights of all persons and therefore the Gender Equality bill is not required is an argument that defeats itself.

    “The discrimination suffered by women are peculiar to women and so there is need for specific legislation to protect the girl child and woman from the monstrosity of our Patriarchal system , cultural and religious beliefs.

    “The provisions of the Constitution on human rights is broad based and the Gender Equality bill sought to promote specific legislation that identifies and prohibits all forms of violations specifically, especially as they are not mentioned in the constitution.

    “Women make up to half of the Nation’s population and a continuous violation of their rights affects the development of the Nation and projects Nigeria as one of the under-developed nations in the world.”

    “It is also time that Civil Society organisations act as a watch dog to Government’s inaction and non-implementation of treaties, making government accountable to the society,” the group said.

     

  • Bayelsa, Police disagree on allegation of baby selling

    Bayelsa, Police disagree on allegation of baby selling

    The Ministry of Health, Bayelsa State, and the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Saturday, said it was not true that a Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Sawyer Wisdom, sold a baby girl delivered in the Survival Hospital located at Igbogene, Yenagoa, at N200,000.

    The ministry and FIDA said contrary to the claims of the police that the baby was nowhere to be found, the newborn was being catered for at the Gloryland Children Home, a motherless babies’ facility owned by the state government.

    The police earlier said they arrested a doctor and a nurse at Survival Hospital, over an alleged plot to sell a newborn baby to a willing buyer at N200,000.

    Speaking in a press conference in Yenagoa, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ayibatonye Owei, said it became important for all the stakeholders in the baby-selling saga to clarify the issues to avoid dragging the ministry in the mud.

    Owei said there was no arrangement ab initio between the mother of the baby, Nwachukwu Nnenna and Sawyer, who is the owner of the hospital, to sell the baby.

    He explained that Nwachukwu came to the hospital demanding to terminate her seven-month-old pregnancy citing financial constraints.

    He said Sawyer discouraged her from carrying out the abortion, but opted to cater for and manage her condition until March 2 when she was delivered of a life baby girl.

    Owei explained that upon delivery, the mother and her baby were fed by the hospital and was later handed over to the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development because Nwachukwu said she could not take care of her.

    He said all the documentation for the transfer of the baby was properly done with the consent of the woman and that the newborn was later sent by the ministry to the government-owned motherless babies’ home.

    He said the police and other stakeholders went to the child care home to see the baby adding that the reports in the public domain about the matter were not correct.

    “It is disheartening that the police created an impression that the baby was missing. It is also wrong to say that a doctor, who is a permanent secretary in our ministry connived to sell the baby.

    “The baby is not missing. The baby is in the motherless baby home and there was no attempt whatsoever from the beginning to sell her,” he said.

    Also absolving himself of wrongdoing, Sawyer, said before he contacted the ministry to take the baby, the woman signed an undertaking to that effect.

    “The patient signed an undertaking to transfer the baby to the government since she could not care for the baby,” he said.

    Speaking on the matter, the Chairman of FIDA, Dise Ogbise-Erhisere and the Permanent Secretary, Women Affairs, Mrs. Ebiere Igodoh-Adeh corroborated the position of the ministry and Sawyer.

    They said the baby was not sold but was being properly cared for by the government at the motherless babies’ home.

    FIDA boss thanked the ministries of health and women affairs for opting to care for the helpless child.

  • Ministerial nominees, female lawyers cry of marginalization

    Ministerial nominees, female lawyers cry of marginalization

    [dropcap]I[/dropcap]nternational Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of marginalizing the women folk in the list of ministerial nominees submitted to the Senate for screening.

    Chairperson of the Kwara state FIDA, Mrs. Oluronke Adeyemi ‎said this yesterday in Ilorin, the state capital as parts of activities to mark its week.

    ‎Mrs. Adeyemi said that: “We are surprised with just one lady among the ministerial nominees. It is not acceptable to us and other women in the country. Nigeria have women who merit the ministerial list.

    “We support the president’s effort at appointing credible people. He should appoint credible people even if they are all from the same state. Nigerians should learn to do things in a new way. Whether all the ministers are Christian, Muslim or from one part of the country, all we need are competent people to drive the nation to greater height but number of women should be increased because we have many of them who have impact in their chosen careers.”

    On the theme of this year’s celebration titled “Protecting the Children, securing our future, she said that the society cannot continue to pretend that all is well the Nigerian children which was why the association is calling the attention of all to the plight.

    She said “many children have been assaulted, some were poured hot water, some burnt, mercilessly beaten while others were put to hard labour. Many of them lived among us and we have invited about 350 teachers across the state to come and listen to experts talk on how to identify these categories of children and how to access help for them.

    On rights of children, Adeyemi said ‎there are laws in place on abuse of children but people are not willing to press charges.

    “Those who inflict pains on children does that on orphans. The problem is a systemic issue and to solve the problem of children abuse there should be laws allowing taking children away from the cruel hand. It is working in Kwara state already and a family court has been established in Kwara to look at domestic violence including children’s maltreatment,” she added

    ‎She stated further while condemning Boko Haram attacks in the country that their programme is targeted at preventing another set of Boko Haram with FIDA week this year.

    She added that “any child raised with cruelty will grow up to be cruel. We have no value for human lives; It obvious that they aren’t fighting to Islamise Nigeria but to destroy the country. I Prayed for President to succeed in the war against terror and I urged all Nigerians to support the government. I believed in discipline but discouraged been cruel to children.”

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