Welcome Speech by Joy Ezeilo, the Executive Director of WACOL at the occasion of A Two Day Consultative Meeting of West African Women “Building Bridges and Networking for Change” in Banjul, Gambia.

 8^th to 9^th May 2006

Protocols:

Your Excellencies,

The Special Guests of Honours,

Members of the Diplomatic Corps,

Representatives of the African Commission,

Members of Civil Society Organizations in particular representatives of women’s groups,

Distinguished Guests,

Representatives of Print and Electronic Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 It is with profound gratitude that we welcome all of our guests who have found time to come and witness the opening ceremony of this epoch making international consultative meeting of West African Women on the theme “Women Building Bridges and Networking for Change” focusing on using sub regional and regional instruments and mechanisms for the law promotion and protection of women’s human rights.

 Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL) a charitable organization that has an observer status with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in pursuit of its mandate is facilitating this process with the kind support of the Swedish NGO Foundation on Human Rights. WACOL is committed to the promotion of women’s right in the sub region and the entire continent. Our vision is a society free from violence, all forms of abuses, where human rights of all in particular women and young people are recognized in law and practice.  We do this through provision of wide range of services: training, research, advocacy, shelter, legal and financial aid, intra- familial conflict resolution, information and library services.

This consultative forum has brought together women’s rights activists/ groups in both Francophone and Anglophone countries of West African and beyond (Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Senegal, Liberia, Mali and Cameroun) to discuss issues of mutual concern, and increase networking amongst them.

 The main goal of this meeting is to strategize and adopt approaches that will enhance networking towards social and legislative advocacy for implementation of international and regional treaties protecting human rights of women in the West African Sub Region.

 While there is no uniformity in law across francophone and Anglophone West Africa countries there are a significant range of shared social and legal problems confronting women’s civil, political, economic, social and cultural activities.

 One of the most fundamental and serious problems confronting women in West African countries is the lack of legal reform in areas traditionally governed by customary and religious laws. Women suffer serious discrimination due to non-uniform marriage and divorce laws, the application of customary property laws that still favour men’s ownership of land, societal norms that condone violence against women, lack of equal access to education as well as laws governing reproductive rights and the continuing prevalence of female genital mutilation (FGM), early marriage, denial of inheritance and property rights to women and girls and harmful and degrading treatment of widows.

 There are plethoras of international instruments signed and ratified by many countries in the Sub Region. For Example, the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has been ratified by all ECOWAS countries. In the same vein all but Ghana and Benin Republic are yet to ratify the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on Women’s Rights adopted in Maputo 2003. The African Charter’s main human rights document has been ratified and even domesticated in some countries yet human rights of women are not respected in law and in practice at municipal levels. Implementation has become a major challenge hence the need for sustained advocacy within the continent to ensure that human rights of women are promoted, protected, respected, enforced and fulfilled to the benefit of women and girls wherever they are located in the Sub Region and the African continent.

 This forum will place emphasis on enhancing the use of procedures under the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and how to engage in strategic litigation to ensure respect and enforcement of women’s rights.  

 It will critically map out challenges and identify solutions/actions to combat such challenges. We hope that at the end of this full two- day meeting that the women activists and groups that have gathered here will come up with a roadmap on how to build and strengthen the women’s network across ECOWAS countries.  We expect to adopt a Plan of Action and make commitment to further the objectives of the workshop. 

WACOL expresses its gratitude to our guests of honour, in particular the Nigerian Ambassador to Gambia, Her Excellency, Ambassador Maryam Mohammed and distinguished ladies and gentlemen who have joined us at this opening ceremony.

 We thank the women who have to make a lot sacrifice to be here including navigating the difficult travel terrain in the sub-region. WACOL appreciates your presence and value your contribution and active participation in achieving the objectives of this meeting. 

We want to thank especially the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights whose financial support made this meeting possible.

Finally, we thank the General Manageress of this hotel Mrs. Amie Lette Ndow for making us feel at home and providing an enabling environment for this meeting to take place. We appreciate the hospitality of your staff. 

Welcome and we look forward to a fruitful deliberations and translation of ideas into action.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UNIFEM calls for human rights including gender equality to inform the discussions and outcomes of ICASA 2005 (4th – 9th December)

The Regional Programme Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Ms. Florence Butegwa has called on all stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS to ensure that human rights, including gender equality inform discussions and outcomes at the International Conference on AIDS and STDs in Africa (ICASA 2005). Making this call at a Press Conference in Abuja while intimating the media with UNIFEM activities at ICASA 2005, Ms. Butegwa emphasized that proper consideration of the human rights and gender implications of every intervention was necessary to achieve the desired impact in HIV/AIDS prevention and management. This is because HIV/AIDS affects and impacts the various gender differently and as such the human rights of all with the aim to achieve equality should be an issue for consideration in the aspect of prevention, control and treatment.

UNIFEM wants to particularly highlight 2 areas during the conference as follows:

1. Positive women – generally lack a voice especially as a group to call attention to and press for issues that concern and affect them. These issues include amongst others stigma and discrimination, violence against women, inequality in access to treatment, care and support. UNIFEM is therefore organizing sessions for women living with HIV to discuss these issues before and during the conference and also strengthen their skills to organize, advocate and network within and among countries of West Africa. Positive women from Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Gambia, Liberia, Senegal and other African countries will have a pre-ICASA session and other sessions throughout the Conference.
2. In Africa the fraction of people living with the virus or with AIDS that are cared for in hospitals is very small. The majority are in their homes, and the responsibility for caring for them falls on women and girls, due to the social division of labour at family level. These carers are grandmothers, mothers, wives or daughters. They combine the caring work with providing food, child raring, and all other gender roles ascribed to women, with significant negative implications for food security, their own health and family livelihoods. Often they are themselves living with the virus! National responses to HIV and AIDS rarely focus on these women and girls, yet they are the backbone of the HIV and AIDS management system. To highlight this important but neglected issue UNIFEM will launch off a campaign with the theme “Who Cares for the Care Giver” on 4 December at 9.00 am. (For venue, contact Olasunbo Odebode)

UNIFEM wishes to acknowledge with appreciation the support from the CIDA funded Nigeria AIDS Response Fund (NARF) and the partnership with Action Aid International.

Finally UNIFEM greatly appreciates your presence at this press briefing and invites members of the press to highlight issues of gender and human rights during the conference. Different UNIFEM staff and partners, including positive women will be available for interview sessions. Please contact Mrs. Nkechi Nwankwo for the necessary arrangements.
December 6th 2005

SAY NO TO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
November 25th 2005

Sisters in the struggle, as we commence this year’s round of 16 days of Activism to end gender – based violence against women worldwide WACOL wishes to inform and invite you to join its Campaign “Say No to Violence” and share your activity plan to end gender based violence. Bearing in mind that violence has reached endemic proportions in Nigeria, there is need to build a critical mass of support as we embark on social and legislative advocacy to end all forms of violence against women and girls.

Further, there is need to recognize the fact that violence has become institutionalized in Nigeria and affects women and men particularly vulnerable groups within and across gender and class. Therefore, an expansive multi-media and multi- sectoral response has become necessary to build strategic alliance amongst all genders to have zero tolerance on all forms of violence especially those against women and girls whether it happens in private, public, peace and/or in conflict situation.

This initiative - Say No Violence Campaign will last for one year 25th November 2005 to 10th December 2006. Within this period, WACOL has mapped out some activities and will be very pleased to work with like minded organizations toward achieving that. Further, we welcome suggestion on high impact activities to end VAW.

The main activity for which we call for partnership is documentation of work targeted at eliminating violence against women. We (NGOS/CBOS) have had modest achievements in our efforts to end gender based violence yet we have virtually no documentation of some of these important works. This fact was underscored recently at a workshop organized by BAOBAB at Chelsea Hotel Abuja August 30-31st 2005, where actually I was given the task of facilitating this process and we believe this is the right time to set about this onerous and imperative documentation to fill the gap of depth of information as well as inform people- target groups/beneficiaries about available services and the providers and how to access them. I hope BAOBAB, Project Alert, Women Studies Network, WRAPPA, WARD C, CIRDDOC, FIDA, WOCON, LEDAP, NAWOJ and all you sisters out there in the trenches working to end violence will join and take a lead on this initiative.

Some of the activities planned by WACOL relating specifically to efforts to end VAW include:

• A media dialogue and press conference in Enugu, Abuja and Port Harcourt offices of WACOL 25th November 2005 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against women and the commencement date of the 16 days of activism
• Interactive forum with WACOL Widows Support Group across the South Eastern States to raise public awareness on the plights of widows
• A live Radio Programme with Cosmo FM 8 to 9am of 25th November 2005
• Self Esteem & Skills survival workshops for female victims of state torture in Odi (Bayelsa), Ogoni( Rivers), and Zaki- Biam (Benue State) with support from Global Opportunities Fund 23rd to 27th November Port Harcourt
• Victims support club inauguration in Ogoni and Zaki Biam
• TV and Radio spots and programme in FRCN, ESBS and NTA
• Capacity Building Workshop in Kano for Women NGOS and CBOS in Northern Nigeria 27th to 30th November 2005 Royal Tropicana Hotel with Support from HBF
• A Symposium on 10th December 2005 in collaboration with South Eastern Women Network
• Women’s Court on Denial of Inheritance, Housing and Property Rights (TBD)
• Paralegal Training on Women’s Human Rights in collaboration with National Human Rights Commission & UNDP 11th to 16th December 2005
• Paralegal Training on Violence Against Women for South South and South East States from 8 to 10th December in collaboration with the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights
• Quarterly Drama Production with NTA Ebonyi State on harmful traditional practices against Widows will commence 10th December
• Dissemination of Research findings on domestic trafficking and torture against women in Nigeria
• School/Students Poster Competition –Youths Say No to Violence to mark the International Women’s Day
• Exhibition of Drawings and Paintings from June 14th to 20th on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse in collaboration with the Art Republic and the French Center Enugu ( Alliance Francise)
• Widows Day of Action July 29th to 31st 2006 to mark the African Women’s Day
• Workshop for Christian Church Clergy on Domestic Violence in collaboration with COHRE & Swedish NGO Foundation (TBD)
• Strategic litigations that holds State and non state actors accountable for gender crimes and other forms of violence against women ( On going activity)

• WACOL with the grant from the United Nations Trust Fund will work in 3 states of the federation (Anambra, Bayelsa and Edo states) from 2006 - 2007 to build the capacity of Civil Society Organizations in particular Community Based Organizations, traditional institutions, health providers and community peer groups on prevention and management of cases of violence. The Grant will also be used to support legal assistance/counselling and other services to women victims/survivors of violence, and support training for law enforcement officers to provide ‘Rapid Response’ to female victims and survivors of violence. This integrated approach involving different sectors of the community aims at reducing the incidence of violence against women by changing attitudes while at the same time providing immediate redress, and recovery from trauma for victims.

• Publication of Documented projects and programmes to end violence against women October 2005.

Our legal aid and mobile legal clinics will continue as well as Shelter Provision for battered and displaced women in our project states.

We invite people to express their interests in being part of the documentation of VAW related work of CSOs/NGOs/CBOs exercise by subscribing to “Say No to Violence Campaign” and sharing their work and experiences. Every organization counts and every project counts and we believe justifies the value of naira, dollar or pounds sterling invested in it. Those who express interest will receive a matrix to aid documentation and harmonization of data collated.

Act now to make it Happen and Remember to Say No No No to VAW and beyond the 16 days of activism to end violence against women. Not a minute more. A life free from violence is it’s our right.

In Sisterhood,
Joy Ezeilo
Executive Director, WACOL
www.wacolnigeria.org
jezeilo@wacolnigeria.org, ezeilojoy@wacolnigeria.org

24th November 2005

LET’S SAVE WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM VIOLENCE,
HIV/AIDS AND POVERTY

WACOL LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN: “SAY NO TO VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMEN & GIRLS IN NIGERIA”

As the world marks the I6 days of activism on violence against women from today 24th November to 10th December, Women Aid Collective (WACOL) seizes this opportunity to launch a campaign “Say No to Violence Against Women and to draw attention to the devastation HIV/ AIDS and poverty are causing among the vulnerable groups especially, women and young people in Nigeria.

The 2003 Sentinel Survey on the pandemic in Nigeria revealed high prevalence of HIV among women and youths between the ages of 15-45 years- the most productive and reproductive group. There is also feminization of poverty as women are socially disadvantaged, economically not empowered and lack equal access to all indicators of development including education.

Denial of inheritance rights especially, right to land, housing and property to women and girls is one form of violence against women, especially in the south east of Nigeria, which has deepened the problem of poverty and contributed to the spread of HIV/AIDS in the country. Obviously, there is a strong link between poverty and HIV/AIDS as both have assumed a woman’s face. HIV/AIDS has ceased to be a health problem as it impacts on all spheres of human life. In the bid to survive and provide for children after being disinherited following their husbands’ death, some women have no option than to engage in commercial sex, if they are “unlucky” to be inherited by one of the brother-in-laws. Survey carried out by WACOL amongst commercial sex workers in Enugu State revealed that 60% of sex workers in the state are widows and girls who had suffered one form of disinheritance or the other from families. Other acts of violations against women’s human rights such as FGM, wife inheritance and domestic violence expose women to HIV infection.
Many young people have been living in the misconception that HIV/AIDS is not real and perceive the campaign on HIV/AIDS, as a wolf cry (even those in tertiary institutions). This has made some of them to continue indulging in risky sexual behaviour despite plethora of campaigns by both government and non-governmental organizations.

The development calls for concern by all stakeholders. Serious actions need to be taken in targeting behavioural change, and this could be achieved through persistent and correct provision of information that would increase knowledge and thereby enhance attitude change amongst the young ones. If campaign that targets the youth is handled lukewarmly, young people would continue to indulge in risky behaviours that predispose them to HIV. The attendant effect of this is very glaring- in the next few years; Nigeria shall be left without its future hopes, leaders and workforce, as many young people would have contracted HIV/STI.

We therefore urge the Federal Government, state governments and the civil society to target women and youths in their HIV/AIDS interventions to stem the tide.

WACOL commend various government efforts at poverty eradication and called for a more practical approach in the implementation of NEEDS and SEEDS documents to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the citizens, so that interventions aimed at containing HIV spread would yield more fruits.

According to the Executive Director of WACOL, Joy Ezeilo, “ there is need to implement existing laws that protects and prevent violence against women as well as embark on further legal reforms to afford maximum and effective protection for women’s civil, political and socio- economic and cultural rights. She stressed in particular, the need to address the issue of women’s inheritance rights, housing and property as a way of alleviating women’s poverty, reducing violence and risks of HIV/AIDs as crucial part of NEEDS and SEEDS programmatic action”.

At WACOL this year’s event is significant as we got the United Nations Trust Fund Grant award in Anglophone West Africa for the period 2006- 2007 to address gender-based violence in three states in southern Nigeria. WACOL shall continue its work until our vision of a society free from violence and all forms of human rights abuses against women is achieved in law and in practice.
Join Nigerian Women and Men to Say a Resounding No to all forms of violence against women and girls.

Uche Akolisa
Programme Officer, Media &Information,

PRESS RELEASE
UNIFEM AWARDS GRANTS TO EFFORTS TO END
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
November 23rd 2005.
United Nations Trust Fund Grant award in Nigeria go to Women Aid Collective (WACOL) in Enugu.

25th November 2005, Abuja – The United Nations Trust Fund to Eliminate Violence against Women will grant US$1.8 million to 24 groups in developing countries who are addressing gender-based violence in their communities. In Anglophone West Africa, a grant of $100,000 has been awarded to the Women Aid Collective (WACOL), a national organisation based in Enugu and with offices in Port Harcourt and Abuja, working to promote women’s human rights in Nigeria under the UN Trust Fund, for the period 2006 – 2007.

The Trust Fund is a unique multi-lateral mechanism established by the UN General Assembly in 1996 and administered by UNIFEM. Grants are decided collectively by representatives of UN agencies and international NGOs. Grants this year went to initiatives that focused on ensuring that policies and laws to remove violence against women were being implemented.

“Great strides have been made in setting policies and legal frameworks - the challenge now is to ensure implementation,” said Noeleen Heyzer, executive director of UNIFEM. “The effective strategies supported by the Trust Fund are key to lives free of violence for women and girls. These must now be scaled up to become standard practice everywhere,” she added.

Women Aid Collective (WACOL) will be using the grant in 3 states of the federation (Anambra, Bayelsa and Edo states) to build the capacity of Civil Society Organizations in particular Community Based Organizations, traditional institutions, health providers and community peer groups on prevention and management of cases of violence. The Grant will also be used to support legal assistance/counselling and other services to women victims/survivors of violence, and support training for law enforcement officers to provide ‘Rapid Response’ to female victims and survivors of violence. This integrated approach involving different sectors of the community aims at reducing the incidence of violence against women by changing attitudes while at the same time providing immediate redress, and recovery from trauma for victims.

According to the Executive Director of WACOL, Ms. Joy Ezeilo, “the Trust Fund award means a lot to us as an organisation working in an environment with high prevalence rate of violence in private, public spaces, and in peace and conflict situations. We see it as a recognition of local efforts, which impact on global campaigns initiated by this same UN Interagency Trust Fund working towards eradication of violence against women and girls. WACOL has created demand through our work especially in service provisions in communities across Nigeria and amongst target groups and beneficiaries and the Trust Fund comes at an auspicious time when finding resources (particularly financial) to continue such services, including expansion to reach communities and persons in need of such services, had become a challenge”.

Since its establishment, the Trust Fund has granted US$10 million to 198 initiatives in 100 countries. Demand continues to outstrip supply. In 2005, UNIFEM received 1,059 proposals amounting to tens of millions of dollars in requests, but only had US$1.8 million to give out. Contributions come from a diverse group of governments, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and individuals.

To also support the elimination of violence against women, UNIFEM in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Project Alert, a non-governmental organisation, working to eliminate violence against women in Nigeria, is organising an interactive forum in memory of women who died as a result of gender-based violence in Nigeria. This activity is to commemorate the 16 days of activism against VAW, and slated for 25th November 2005 at the UN house in Abuja. The objectives of the Forum include the raising of national awareness on the endemic nature of VAW, interacting with and listening to the experiences of survivors of VAW, celebrating the courage and strength of women who have survived, mourning those women and young girls who have died and advocating for laws and policies aimed at eliminating all forms of VAW in Nigeria. The 16 days of activism against women was instituted by women from 25th November – 10th December of every year to highlight how violence against women (VAW) infringes on women’s human rights, contribute to loss of productivity and can lead to deaths of women.
The list of 2005 Trust Fund grantees is available at:
http://www.unifem.org/attachments/stories/TrustFund_Grantees_2005.pdf
For more information on the Trust Fund, see http://www.unifem.org/gender_issues/violence_against_women/trust_fund.php
~~~~~~~

UNIFEM is the women's fund at the United Nations, providing financial support and technical assistance to innovative programs promoting women's human rights, their economic and political empowerment, and gender equality in over 100 countries. For more information, visit www.unifem.org

Enlist Clerics to end VAW.
by Barr. Mrs. Joy Ezieilo
This Day publication October 21,2005

Churches in the Southeast have been urged to join the campaign to end the increasing violence against women and the denial of their inheritance rights.

Executive director of Women Aid Collective (WACOL), chief Joy Ezeilo made the call in her address at the opening ceremony of a two-day capacity building workshop on human rights and gender organized for Christian clergy in the Southeast zone, noting that the zone has been witnessing increasing cases of women rights violation.

Explaining the rationale for the workshop Ezeilo said the reason “is not far fetched because the Southeast of Nigeria has a disproportionately large number of disinheritance and property related cases “adding “in most part of Igbo land widows and daughters do not inherit property under customary law.

She pointed out that violence against women in its various forms constituted a violation of women’s rights and fundamental freedoms, noting that it appears to be encouraged and tolerated as part of marital life. Violence against women is especially domestics violence is not only an issue that impacts negatively on the lives and integrity of women and their children, but it is also under reported and without requisite remedies, “ she lamented.

According to the WACOL chief executive, lack of official statistics had made it difficult to assess the extent of the violence against women but nonetheless she noted that research by NGOs have established that “the levels of domestic violence are shockingly high.

Monday, May 10, 2005

A CASE OF TRAFFICKING INVOLVING A DEAF AND DUMB
13-YEAR OLD GIRL

A case of trafficking involving a deaf and dumb 13-year old Girl, Ginika Ogbodo has come to the attention of Women Aid Collective (WACOL), a non-governmental organisation that promotes the rights of women and young persons in Nigeria.

According to the victim’s guardian, Mr. Reuben Nwokediuko Chukwuani, Ginika left for school (Special Education Centre for Deaf and Dumb, Ogbunike Street,
Ogbete, Enugu) on Wednesday, April 20, 2005, and did not return home. A search organised for her yielded no results prompting the guardian to lodge a complaint of a missing child at the Central Police Station (CPS), Enugu on Saturday April 23, 2005 and investigation police officers were assigned.

Following a lead provided by Ginika’s friend, Helen Ogbu, the search led to Aba, then to Umuahia, where with the help of the police, she was eventually found
with one John Ekeoma who claimed he bought Ginika from a woman, Mrs. Cecilia Nwokoye of No. 2 Enugu-ukwu Street, Uwani, Enugu. Mrs. Nwokoye was arrested and subsequently released by the police. Meanwhile, Mr. Chukwuani alleged that Mrs. Nwokoye’s son, Mr. Okey Nwokoye has been threatening the family of the victim to stop the push for the prosecution of the case otherwise they would be dealt with. Also, Miss Ogbu has been under threats.

Speaking through an interpreter, 13-year Ginika alleged that Mr. Ekeoma made her beg and return the proceeds to him even as he forcefully had sex with her
on some occasions before she was rescued.

WACOL is disturbed at the gravity of these allegations and would want to get to the root of the matter. Trafficking is a serious crime against
humanity and to say that the girl was sold for the purpose of begging to generate money for the buyer is barbaric.

We trust the Police in Enugu State to do the right thing and investigate this matter and to this effect, we have written officially to the Honourable
Commissioner of the State Police Command, Morris Abe for proper investigation and action on the case.

WACOL is also in contact with the National Agency to Prohibit Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and we strongly believe that the agency will wade into this
matter in the interest of justice.

April 11, 2005
STOP THIS INHUMAN TREATMENT!

The report on the back cover of the Saturday Sun, April 9th 2005 on a three year-old girl gang-raped to death in Bompai Kano by two young men in their late
20s evokes a feeling of horror, disgust and pains. According to the report, the toddler was gagged with pieces of clothes so that people would not hear her
cry, raped to death and dumped in a dustbin. One of the suspects, Aminu Abdulmid who committed the crime with his friend, Shuabu Yusuf confessed that the reason he raped the toddler was that he found her beautiful!

Women Aid Collective (WACOL) as a non-governmental organization that promotes the rights of women and young people is greatly disturbed at this development and strongly condemns it. Rape is a despicable crime
against humanity and more so when loss of life is involved. There is no justification for rape no matter who is involved. Already in the report, it has been
muted that Aminu is the son of an influential person in the state. The case should not be treated with kid’s glove or allowed to go the way of such reports
in the past because of the gravity of the offence committed.

The case is multiple as it involves defilement and murder. Section 316 No 3 of the Criminal Code Acts, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 Cap 77 in defining murder provides that a person unlawfully kills another if death is caused by means of an act done in the prosecution of an unlawful purpose, which
act is of such a nature as to be likely to endanger life.

WACOL, therefore, demands full police investigation into the case and death penalty for the suspects if found culpable. We also call for a minimum sentence for any person found guilty of rape. The provisions of Section 358 of the Criminal Code Acts, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 1990 Cap 77 that stipulates that rape should be punishable with life imprisonment should be amended to ensure that victims get justice. It should not be business as usual for rapists. Prosecuting them would serve as deterrent to others.

We urge the government of the day to treat the increasing incidence of sexual violence against women and girls in the country as a national issue in the
face of its current campaign against the spread of HIV/AIDS. The seeming helplessness displayed by the Police in containing the increasing incidence of rape in the country should be addressed. Last month, the Sun reported on a mad man who was arrested by the Police in Enugu for going about raping women. The said man has since been released and is walking the streets without inhibitions. Also, WACOL has recorded unprecedented reports of defilement in
recent past in its Legal Unit.
We categorically say, Enough is Enough!

Communiqué from the National Conference on Sharia

THREE-DAY CONFERENCE ON WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE UNDER THE SHARIA IN NORTHERN NIGERIA ORGANISED BY WOMEN’S AID COLLECTIVE (WACOL) AND WOMEN ADVOCATES RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION CERTRE (WARDC) IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC LAW, AHMADU BELLO UNIVERSITY (ABU), ZARIA WITH SUPPORT FROM HEINRICH BOLL FOUNDATION AT ROCKVIEW HOTEL, ABUJA ON 25-28 FEBRUARY, 2003

PREAMBLE

Against the background of an earlier strategic conference on Islamic Legal System and Women’s Rights held in October 2002, this conference assessed and evaluated the implementation of Sharia penal laws and justice system in Northern Nigeria, and its impact on women’s human rights with the aim of determining issues, challenges and prospects in the protection of women’s rights and guaranteeing access to justice under the Sharia. Furthermore, the Conference specific objectives are:

To make concrete suggestions and outline strategies on how to promote, protect and ensure women’s rights under Sharia justice system.

To strengthen networking for social and legislative advocacy for the promotion of women’s rights in Islamic societies.

To improve women’s access to justice through exchange of information.

The Conference was attended by Muslim women groups, Islamic jurists and other intellectuals from Nigeria and abroad, as well as judges, NGOs, and private legal practitioners. Keynote addresses were delivered by Professor Muhammed Tabi’u and Honourable Justice Ibrahim M. Tanko of the Court of Appeal, Abuja. Scholarly papers of high academic standards were also presented at the Conference.

THE CONFERENCE OBSERVES AS FOLLOWS:

1. Equal access and opportunity to justice machinery for all without distinction is of paramount importance to any viable justice system.

2. Sharia legal system recognises and safeguards women’s rights and access to justice as human beings.

3. Islam has a very early history of women activism as embodied in Umm Salma, the wife of the Holy Prophet, on gender equality.

4. Ignorance about Islamic law by women is the biggest threat to their rights and access to justice under the Sharia.

5. Codification of the Sharia penal system in the Sharia implementing states was made within the framework of the 1999 Constitution.

6. Implementation of Sharia penal law by lower courts is marred by lack of compliance by Alkali judges with provisions of Sharia Criminal Procedure Codes.

7. Education and enlightenment of the populace and those that implement Sharia is important for a proper implementation of Islamic legal system.

8. Under Islamic legal system, there is no deliberate policy of bias against women. However, with regard to protecting rights and securing access to justice for women, it is necessary to prevent biases borne out of cultural, personal, or selfish reasons or even ignorance.

9. Human rights organizations and other civil society groups need full support, participation, and cooperation of Muslim women groups and Islamic jurists for effective protection and improvement of women’s rights under Sharia in Nigeria.

10. The organizers are commended for securing the attendance of Muslim jurists, judges, and women groups in pursuit of protection of women’s rights.

THE CONFERENCE RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING:

1. For women to get better access to justice under Sharia, the following steps are to be taken:

A} Improvement of women education and enlightenment about their rights as enshrined in Sharia,

B} stimulating cross-cultural dialogue,

C) establishing effective mechanisms for communicating women’s interests and concerns,

D) establishing institutions that will further enable women to access justice, such as legal aid services, and access to counsel without any distinctions,

2. Sharia implementing states should intensify efforts in continuous training of Alkalis or judges on matters of Sharia, especially on procedure and evidence, in institutions of higher learning, for effective performance of their duties, including adequate funding.

Constitutional contradictions with regard to implementation of Sharia should be reviewed and amended. We also encourage that Sharia education should not be restricted to Northern institutions, in order to encourage informed dialogue
Sharia implementing states should take positive steps toward implementing the socio-economic components of Sharia. The Conference specifically recommends the establishment of the powerful Islamic “Mazalim” institution to tackle complaints against official misdeeds, including corruption and official breach of trust.

Media establishments should take equal interest in the positive aspects of Sharia implementation as they do on other areas.

In view of daily challenges, Nigerian Muslim jurists should embark on improvement of implementation of Sharia through the process of “ijtihad” (independent reasoning).

Sharia court judges of lower courts should be learned in Islamic law and should possess a minimum qualification of LL.B. degree with specialisation in Islamic law.

WE THEREFORE call on the Governments to desist from using Sharia implementation to gain political advantage. We further call on Nigerians to imbibe religious tolerance among diverse groups.

Members of the Communiqué Committee:

Abiola Afolabi (Mrs.) Chairperson

Bala Babaji, Esq. Member

Kasim Musa Waziri Member

Sheriff A. Ahmed Member

Tyna Jay-Emerole Member

Dr. Ali Ahmad Secretary

Conference Coordinating Committee

Mrs. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, ED – WACOL, Enugu

Mrs. Abiola Afolabi, ED - WARDC, Lagos

Dr. Tawfiq M. Ladan, HOD Public Law, ABU, Zaria
Dated 27th day of February, 2003