FG Urged to Curtail Sexual Stigma, Discrimination against Women with Disabilities

The Disability Rights Advocacy Centre (DRAC), has urged the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to take necessary action to curtail the stigma and discrimination against sexual reproductive health and rights of Women with Disability (WWD) in the country.

DRAC noted that the sexual reproductive health and rights of persons with disabilities are mostly overlooked by both the able-bodied and mainstream organisations, and called for a policy to address the reproductive health needs and issues of women with disabilities.

Executive Director, DRAC, Mrs. Irene Patrick-Ogbogu, said the organisation demands an end to poverty, social exclusion, stigma and discrimination, lack of access to health services and other various human rights abuses against women with disability.

She disclosed this in Abuja at a recent one-day stakeholders meeting on the development of policy framework on sexual and reproductive health and rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities (WwDs) in Nigeria.

According to her, “we appeal to the Federal Government to urgently facilitate the social inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) in its development agenda. And, also increase the awareness about the situation of women with disabilities in Nigeria.”

As shown by the fact sheet on Disability and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, June 2013, women with disabilities have greater needs for sexual and reproductive and health rights education and care than persons without disabilities because of increase vulnerability to abuse.

“The challenges in sexual reproductive health and rights are not necessarily part of having a disability, but instead often reflect stigma and discrimination, lack of social attention, legal protection, and accessibility of health and other related services, understanding and support.”

Ogbogu stressed that, “Physical barriers, lack of accessible information and communication materials, healthcare provider’s negative attitudes, lack of disability related clinical services, and lack of funding including health insurance make sexual and reproductive health services inaccessible in the country.”

She explained further that, “Women and girls with disabilities face double discrimination on the grounds of both their gender and their impairment. Violence and abuses against woman with a disability are often hidden, and there remains deep-seated stigma and shame connected with disability.”

“We call on President Buhari to sign into law, the Persons with Disability (PwD) Bill which have been passed by the National Assembly. This bill will protect the right of PwDs in Nigeria. I also urge fellow Nigerians to be considerate and carry persons with disabilities along in all they do”, Patrick-Ogbogu added.

source: This Day Live

Human Rights violation by Military in Ikorodu; Lagos State Assembly commences investigations

The Lagos state House of Assembly has commenced investigations into a case of alleged violation of human rights of residents of Majidun area of Ikorodu  by naval and military personnel drafted to curb illegal bunkering in the area . A 4-man Ad hoc committee headed by the Chief Whip, Hon. Rotimi Abiru was set up to look into a petition titled 'Gross violation of fundamental human rights' from the residents of the community sent by Prince A.O Abori, co-ordinator and Mr Dare Ayeni, Secretary. In the petition the community accused the military personnel of incessant abuse, rape, physical and psychological torture of innocent residents among others, which prompted the need to seek  redress from the Assembly. According to them, over 200 navy and army officer of the Joint Military Task Force,(JTF) invaded their community (Majidun) with arms and ammunition to arrest illegal bunkers, but instead they allegedly displaced people from their homes and assume illegal occupation of their homes, churches and shops; they also alleged that over 84 families were displaced by men of the force. The aggrieved residents said that the military and naval officers have taken over their land, cordoned off the only major access road into Majidun thereby grounding all commercial activities to a halt. The people claimed that they can no longer use the waterways as all commercial activities usually done around the riverine area are grounded. They further alleged that their women were  molested, citing the case of a 23 years old girl (names withheld), who came forth with the gory details of how she was raped by three officers and  she promised to  name and identify them as investigation continues. Other members of the Ad-hoc committee are: Hon. Sola Giwa, Hon. Victor Akande and Hon. Famakinwa Adedayo. source:Worldstage News

Swaziland: Falana drags King Mswati III to UN over killing of girls en route virgin dance festival

                    photo credit: daily post
Nigerian human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has sent a petition to the United Nations Special Rapporteurs requesting them to use their “positions and mandates to thoroughly investigate reports of the unnecessary deaths of at least 60 girls and young women in Swaziland killed in bus crash on their way to dance festival where King of Swaziland, King Mswati III picks one of thousands of topless virgins as his new wife.”

The petition reads in part: “According to reports, a car or a van hit the back of one truck which resulted in a pileup. The dead were reportedly thrown from the back of the truck which was usually used for transporting building materials and some were said to have been hit by on-coming cars. The festival still went ahead despite reports on the deaths.”The petition dated 2 October 2015 was sent to Mr Juan Ernesto MENDEZ Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; Ms. Dubravka Simonovic Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, and Mr Christof HEYNS Special Rapporteur on extra judicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

“I urge you to investigate allegations of cover-up and blatant failure of the authorities to prevent the violations of the rights to life, to human dignity, and violence against girls and women, forced marriage as well as to provide effective remedies for the victims and their families.”

“I am seriously concerned that King Mswati III’s regime rather than addressing the serious violations of human rights has continued to prevent and prohibit the publication of these abuses against innocent girls and young women while also compromising the law enforcement agencies in the discharge of their lawful functions.”

“The girls were forced to stand up in the back of an open truck cheek-by-jowl. There was no space to sit down or even to turn around. By forcing the girls and women to travel on the back of open trucks in a convoy, the government of Swaziland has violated also their rights to freedom from cruel, inhuman, degrading or ill-treatment.”

“I argue that the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance itself is unlawful as it has continued to perpetuate forced marriages, entirely inconsistent with international human rights standards.”

“The right to life is enunciated in article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which Swaziland has ratified. It is the supreme right from which no derogation is permitted even in time of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation. It is a right which should not be interpreted narrowly.”

“Article 2 of the Covenant in fact makes clear that the government of Swaziland has affirmative duties to protect the right to life from abuses within its territory or jurisdiction, and General Comment 31 reveals that this duty requires of the government the due diligence to prevent foreseeable violations.”

“I argue that the government of Swaziland has the supreme duty to prevent acts such as those highlighted above that can cause arbitrary loss of life such as the unnecessary deaths of these girls.”

“The expression “inherent right to life” cannot properly be understood in a restrictive manner, and the protection of this right requires that Swaziland adopt positive measures to prevent violation of the right to life, something the government has failed to do in this instance.”

“I also argue that religion, culture and tradition cannot be used to justify human rights violations, including violence against women, which is what the annual Umhlanga Reed Dance constitutes. The continuation of the Umhlanga Reed Dance also gives rise to other human rights abuses, including forced marriages.”

“Under international human rights law, states like Swaziland are to be held accountable if they fail to act with due diligence to prevent violations of rights such as those highlighted above or to investigate and punish acts of violence against women and provide effective remedies and access to justice for victims and their families.”

“By packing the girls on the back of open trucks, the government of Swaziland should have reasonably foreseen that this would lead to violation of their rights to life and human dignity. In fact, due diligence places a strict standard of conduct upon the government of Swaziland to protect all individuals within its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, including the girls and women.”

“I look forward to your urgent intervention in this case so that the government of Swaziland can be held accountable for these serious violations of human rights and victims and their families can receive justice and effective remedies.”

source: Vanguard

Nigerian prisons: 70 percent of inmates are awaiting trial

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has revealed that 70 per cent of inmates in prisons across the country are awaiting trial.

Mrs Morphy Okwa, the commission’s Assistant Director, Investigation and Coordination revealed this while presenting a report at a stakeholders’ validation of the 2014 prison audit report and 2015 election report.

Okwa noted that though prisons in six states were visited in the last exercise, a compilation of reports from previous visits informed the current situation.

“It was found that there were 240 prison institutions spread across Nigeria as follows: 138 main prisons, 85 satellites, 14 Farm Centres, and 3 borstal institutions

“That the prisons have 268 vehicles serving various prisons that serve 5022 courts in the 774 Local Government Areas.

“The total prison population in Nigeria is 56,718, comprising – 17,686 convicts (4,000 lifers; 1,612 condemned convicts) and 39,032 Awaiting Trial Persons.

“Meanwhile, the population of the prison personnel is put at 28,065.’’

She also noted that some of the inmates living in the same cells suffered from terminal diseases, mental illness, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Okwa described the facilities at the prisons as “deplorable and overstretched“, with most of the prisons overloaded.

Speaking with newsmen on the sideline of the presentation, Mr Tony Ojukwu, the commission’s Director of Monitoring, said that the Administration of Criminal Justice law needed to be complied with to address the inadequacies identified.

“The high number of awaiting trial inmates is a clear indication of the failure of the criminal justice administration system because the prisons are meant for convicts, but you find out at the end of the day that more than 70 per cent of the people there are awaiting trial inmates.

“This is because their cases are not going on in court or they are not moving as fast as possible so that as people are coming in they are going out.

“A situation where somebody is supposed to stay two years in prison for instance if convicted, but has stayed five years while awaiting trial.

“What kind of compensation will you give to him if at the end, considering the fact that our constitution says that you are innocent until proven guilty.

“What happens if a man or woman who has been kept in trial for five years is now proven innocent?

“That means he has stayed in detention for five years for nothing or for an offence he did not commit.

“So we think that the criminal justice administration should be improved.’’

NAN

source: Daily Post