The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), a bill of rights for women, was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979.
Consisting of a preamble and 30 articles, it defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for national actions to end such discriminations.
The Convention defines discrimination against women as “any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of impairing
or nullifying the recognition or enjoyment of women.’’
By accepting the Convention, UN member countries commit themselves to take measures to end discrimination against women.
The countries also commit themselves to build the principle of equality of men and women into their legal system.
They are also expected to abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women.
Countries which have ratified the Convention are legally bound to put its provisions into practice and submit national reports, at least every four years, on measures they have
taken to comply with the Treaty’s obligations.
Nigeria is one of the 185 countries that have so far endorsed the instrument. The country made a submission on the progress of CEDAW’s implementation in July this year at the
committee’s meeting in New York.
At the UN forum, Nigeria was commended for ‘’the participatory process by which the report
was prepared’’.
The populous West African nation was particularly commended for holding public consultations and involving civil society groups in the implementation of CEDAW provisions.
As part of efforts to further solidify the implementation of the Treaty, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development recently organised a workshop on CEDAW implementation.
At the forum, held jointly with the International Republican Institute (IRI), government officials and civil society activists took turns to review the level of the implementation of the obligations and challenges on the Treaty’s course.
For many observers, a major gain of that meeting was the reaction of the First Lady, Hajia Turai Yar’Adua, to pleas by the civil society on the non-passage of the CEDAW
Bill by the National Assembly.
Yar’Adua had pledged to ensure its quick passage, a promise that drew the applause of the audience.
She, however, advised stakeholders to devise strategies aimed at supporting the legislation by creating the necessary awareness.
“Policy makers, lawmakers, the media and other stakeholders should be encouraged to appreciate their roles in addressing the impact of HIV and AIDS, poverty, illiteracy
and all forms of discrimination,’’ she said.
Yar’Adua expressed dismay that CEDAW’s domestication was being stalled by the non-passage of the draft bill before the National Assembly.
According to her, the benefits of CEDAW are “enormous’’ as they will enhance an effective integration of women into the economy and the political space.
Hajia Saudatu Bungudu, the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, in her speech, decried gender-based discrimination ‘’in spite of constitutional provisions and human rights treaties ratified by the country.
“We still have discriminatory tendencies and laws that are insensitive to the welfare and protection of women and girls.
‘’In a few instances where gender-based laws exist, enforcement is usually weak.’’
She expressed the ministry’s readiness to encourage partners working toward empowering women and eliminating discrimination.
“Domesticating the CEDAW is the only way we can ensure sustainable development and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,’’ she stated.
In his contribution, Senator Umaru Dahiru, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Human Rights, Judiciary and Legal Matters, blamed the delay in passing the CEDAW Bill by the National Assembly on the campaigns for the 2007 general elections.
“A public hearing on the bill has already taken place and the report submitted for consideration, but the bill could not be passed due to time factor.
‘’The beauty of the situation, however, is that by virtue of the rules governing the affairs of the two chambers of the National Assembly, the bill
is still valid for consideration,’’ he said.
He said that the bill would have been passed by 2007 but for the inability to form a quorum for any legislative business as the lawmakers were out campaigning for fresh terms.
The lawmaker, however, said the Child Rights Act, Trafficking in Persons Prohibition Act, UBE Act and the National Policy on HIV and AIDS Act, which had been passed by the National Assembly, were some of the efforts to implement CEDAW in the country.
He urged NGOs to sensitise Nigerians to the importance of the CEDAW Bill, stressing that a majority of the state legislatures would have to pass the bill before the President could assent to it.
As part of efforts to sensitise women, Dr Mourtada Deme, the Country Director of the IRI, announced that the institute would soon begin to train state Directors of Women Affairs.
‘’We intend to train Directors of Women Affairs and legislators at the state level to raise the level of awareness,’’ he said.
Deme noted that women’s mass participation in politics and the decision-making process was an indicator of a country’s democratic development.
‘’In IRI, we believe that open, inclusive and participatory processes are necessary for democratic development,’’ he noted.
Hajia Bilkisu Yusuf, a woman activist, who presented a paper at the forum, called for a ‘’full implementation of the Convention’’.
In the paper entitled ‘’The Role of Civil Society Organisations in the Protection and Promotion of Women’s Rights in Nigeria’’, she called for immediate domestication
of CEDAW to make it enforceable.
“CEDAW, though ratified, can only become enforceable after it is incorporated as an Act of Parliament,’’ she noted.
Yusuf further called for a legislation against harmful traditional practices and the revision of inheritance practices under the customary law.
She also canvassed for a law to protect women against sexual harassment and discrimination. Yusuf, who declared that the Nigerian women were ‘’grossly under-represented in elective and appointive political positions’’, called for a constitutional provision to affirm 35 per cent representation by women to reverse the trend.
She advised state Commissioners for Women Affairs to sensitise the local population to the contents of CEDAW so as to mobilise support for its passage by their respective state Houses of Assembly.
Ms Stella Amadi, Head of Programme, Centre for Democracy and Development, in another presentation, called for effective media and legislative action on the CEDAW process.
Amadi called for a media strategy that would build an alliance around CEDAW with key media representatives.
But analysts argue that effective implementation of CEDAW provisions must start by tackling challenges that border on religion.
Other challenges include traditional practices that tend to accept and justify discrimination against women.
Mrs Victoria Adindu, a teacher, while speaking on CEDAW, told a women’s forum recently that everything must be done to disabuse the minds of the legislators against a feeling that the Nigerian woman must be ‘’behind the man’’.
‘’We must let the men know that we have equal brains and have the potential to positively contribute side-by-side with them,’’ she said.
Adindu argued that it was only when that was done that the generally men-dominated Houses of Assembly would endorse the CEDAW Bill.
Analysts also call for more mobilisation via community-based organisations which will be empowered to raise awareness on the matter at the grassroots.
But to do this, Yusuf suggested a ‘’progressive rather than immediate’’ implementation of CEDAW.
“It has to be that way to allow for more work to dilute misgivings through the manipulation of religions and norms,’’ she said.
|
