Jul

6

W.TEC trained participants at the recently-completed capacity building workshop for ‘Women Living Under Muslim Laws’ on strategic e-campaigning. The programme was organised by BAOBAB For Women’s Human Rights in Nigeria and facilitated by Association for Progressive Communications Women’s Networking Support Programme (APC WNSP).

The training forms part of the WLUML Women Reclaiming and Redefining Cultures Projects and Institute for Women’s Empowerment (IWE). It is the first of two workshops, the second to be conducted in Asia in August 2010. APC WNSP contracted Oreoluwa Somolu (of W.TEC) and Oluwatoyin Ajao to run the training workshop.

It was developed for the main purpose of harnessing ICT for the empowerment of women and girls and for collective mobilisation and advocacy purpose in the cause of women’s human rights advancement.

Training Objectives:
• To share and build knowledge and skills on communication rights and information and communication technologies (ICTs) from feminist perspectives
• To create dynamic spaces to explore and deepen feminist practices and politics of technology
• To raise awareness on the critical role of communication rights in the struggle to advance women’s human rights
• To share skills that will enable participants use technology to effectively document abuses, mobilize support and amplify pressure for change

The participants were all very committed to finding out how online tools and other technology could support their campaigns.

Mar

9

Please check out W.TEC’s entry for Changemaker’s Preventing Violence Against Women competition: http://bit.ly/9yXa9p. Comments & votes appreciated.

W.TEC’s proposed project is the Technology Advocates for Violence Prevention – TAVP. This project is targeted at the women and girls’ group in the Lagos Island local government area and will provide training on understanding their rights and equip them with strategies to respond to and report cases of women’s rights abuse and gender violence.

This programme incorporates the use of information technology in building and sharing information and knowledge about gender violence. This serves several purposes: to introduce the women to information technology and enable them develop skills that can empower them economically and socially; to provide information about women’s rights and violence against women; to document the work taking place within their community; to inform other communities and stakeholders such as civil society and women’s groups, government agencies, the media and the larger national and international about grassroots strategies for violence prevention.

Learn more about this project at http://bit.ly/9yXa9p. Please give us feedback and vote if you like this proposal.

Jan

30

Justice for Uzoma

January 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment

Uzoma Okere
After close to 1 and a half years, Uzoma Okere, the young lady who was infamously dragged out of her car, stripped of her clothing and beaten on a busy Lagos street in November 2008 for not moving her car quickly enough out of the way for some officials of the Nigerian navy, was given the justice she so richly deserved.

Delay tactics from the defendants’ lawyers notwithstanding, on Wednesday, January 27 Justice Opeyemi Oke of the Lagos High Court awarded N100 million damages to Ms. Okere and Mr. Abdullahi Abdulazeez (a passenger in her car who was also physically assaulted by the ratings) and ordered that a public apology be made to them through the media. She found Rare Admiral Harry Arogundade, four naval ratings, and the Nigerian Navy guilty of violating the rights of the applicant to dignity.

When delivering her verdict in the case, Justice Oke noted that there are three issues for determination by the court:

1. The court was to determine whether the applicants succeeded in establishing that their fundamental rights was infringed upon;

2. Whether the 1st and 6th defendants (Mr. Arogundade and the Nigerian Navy) are liable for infringing on the rights of the applicants;

3. If the applicants are entitled to the reliefs being sought by them.

The footage shot of the event by a witness from the nearby PriceWaterHouse office building was invaluable in proving the 1st point, as it was obvious from the recording that Ms. Okere and Mr. Abdulazeez did indeed have their rights violated.

According to the article in NEXT, she stated:

“I saw 4 officers in naval uniform, two were holding guns; the 1st applicant was being dragged on the road by the two officers; the applicant became naked from waist to her chest with only her black brazier on.” She resolved that the applicant’s right was indeed violated.

“She was beaten, pushed, pulled, dragged and made naked with her upper anatomy exposed to all sort of eyes; her private property became the object of a cinema for those who witnessed the unfortunate and disgraceful incident.” she said.

Pertaining to the naval ratings that perpetrated the act, Justice Oke said “the officers can be described as barbaric in uniform, who have no respect for womanhood, they have no fear of God. It has got to a time when such officers may have to undergo psychiatric test before being employed.”

In determining the 2nd issue i.e. if the 1st and 6th respondents are liable, the judge noted that an employee is the agent of his employer, and such is liable for the wrong doing of his employee.

When summing up, Justice Oke had a wish:

“Blessed shall be the day when civilians will see uniformed men, armed or unarmed officers, and feel secured without any anxiety for their lives. Blessed shall be the day when uniformed men will treat civilians on the road with respect and come to the realisation that they are citizens of the country who are to be protected,” declared Justice Oke.

I pray for that day too, because for too long, the uniform has been used by many who wear it to oppress and take advantage of the very citizens these people are meant to protect.

I am happy that justice was served in this case, though it is painful still to know that these ratings and Mr. Arogundade are still serving in the Navy. I Nigeria still has a very lax attitude towards implementing punishment to wrong-doers. This continues to send the message that injustice, corruption, oppression and all manner of violations of the law are permitted by the very institutions that are supposed to be the enforcers of law and order.

Yesterday I saw a police convoy of 2 cars belligerently barge their way through the tedious traffic on Ozumba Mbadiwe. Are they in anymore of a hurry or traffic-averse than the rest of us? Or are they merely abusing the power that their uniform has given them? I think so.

Links:
Watch the footage
Violence against women in Nigeria

Dec

9

By Oreoluwa

Grace Ushang Vigil & March - Dec 4, 2009

Grace Ushang Vigil & March - Dec 4, 2009

As we wrap-up this year’s 16 Days Campaign against gender violence, it’s important to identify steps to advance this cause.

Last Friday’s march to protest the rape and murder of youth corper Grace Ushang was an excellent step in raising awareness about not only this incident, but all the other thousands of assaults that take place daily and go unreported. Efforts like this also provide a space for women and advocates against gender violence to get together, support each other and propose progressive measures.

At the march and vigil, protestors made the following recommendations:
- To take measures to guarantee the safety and personal security of youth corps members and indeed all women and girls who remain vulnerable due to impunity amongst perpetrators in Nigeria;
- To pass the Bill on Violence Against Women presented to the House of Representatives since April 2002;
- To adopt and pass the Harmonised Bill on Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Bill 2008 presented to the Senate through its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters in July 2008;
- Appropriate funds to facilitate the establishment and equipping of units in all divisional posts of the Nigeria Police Force to enhance the investigation and prosecution of cases of violence against women, thereby enhancing accountability and access to justice for women who suffer abuses in private and public spaces;
- Commit a full scale investigation to bring the killers of Grace Ushang to justice.

The last is crucial, because after the initial outcry, the incidences fade from the public’s memory and justice is either intolerably slow in coming or permanently deferred. Last year’s attack of Uzoma Okere by a naval rating is a perfect case in point. Thankfully though, the court case is still in process, despite delay tactics from the defendants’ lawyers.

It’s important that each of us thinks about how we can help eliminate violence against women. For a start, supporting bills and other legal instruments that seek to provide additional protection to women is a good start. We can participate in events and gatherings like the vigil and march in honour of Grace Ushang and mobilize others to do the same, as our physical presence – especially in large numbers – shows solidarity and makes a greater impact than we imagine. We can individually challenge thinking and cultural mores that permit violence against women through discussion and action.

It’s not always easy, especially within cultural contexts that view these issues of violence benignly or even actively encourage them. We might not all think ourselves capable of ‘putting ourselves out there’ but perhaps you could find small but important actions to take. The struggle to eliminate gender violence requires all our efforts and should not be left to those considered the ‘heavyweights’ of women’s rights. This is a continuous struggle and should not be consigned merely to these 16 days of each year.

Dec

8

By Omokemi

Violence against women is any violence that targets a woman because she belongs to the women’s fold.  Violence against women includes ill treatment of female househelps. A family hired the service of a 15 year old girl as househelp. Madam travels often and so few weeks after the househelp came to the house, Oga succeeded in engaging her in a sexual affair. Oga’s 17 year old son caught his father in one of the acts and threaten to tell his mother unless the househelp allows him also to have rounds with her. Both father and son continue in sexual affair with the housemaid until the girl became  pregnant and both men denied being responsible.

How do you treat that little girl in your care? Remember she is a potential mother like your female children. Do you wish her a  bright future like your children? Remember what goes around comes around. It is what you do to children in your care that outsiders will do to your children. Be sensitised on the right of a woman. Say no to violence against women.

Dec

7

By Oreoluwa

The 16 Days of Activism are almost over, but we would be remiss in our daily writings if we didn’t talk about the organisation behind this now global campaign.

The 16 Days campaign was launched in 1991 by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership in Rutgers University, New Jersey, U.S.A. CWGL chose to bookend the campaign with November 25 (International Day Against Violence Against Women) and December 10 (International Human Rights Day) to make the case that violence against women is a human rights violation.

Since then over 2,000 women’s organizations in 156 countries have participated in the global campaign, with tens of thousands of people around the world raising awareness of the many forms of violence faced by women from all walks of life, of every economic status, and in every community throughout the world.

The 2009 campaign (this year’s theme is “Commit ▪ Act ▪ Demand: We CAN End Violence Against Women!”) includes the following initiatives planned around the world:
- Series of programs including a seminar on masculinity and hip hop with a critical analysis of mainstream music and its intersections with racism, sexism, and gender-based violence (Canada)
- Self-defense training workshops in schools to teach youth how to protect and respect themselves and those around them (Belize)
- Online conference to discuss femicide, violence against women, and the implications of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security (Georgia)
- Group of men traveling to a number of rural locations where they will do performances related to topics of violence against women and how men can be positive role models in the world to end gender-based violence (Kenya)
– Hosting daily events throughout the campaign, including symposiums on the intersections of gender violence with internal displacement, public health, media portrayal and reporting, mental health, and sexual harassment in the workplace, as well as hosting creative programs such as how to incorporate theater and poetry into sensitization work (South India)

Visit the CWGL website for more information and join the campaign on Facebook.

Dec

5

By Oreoluwa

BAOBAB For Women’s Human Rights  is another non-governmental organisation making great strides in advocating and protecting women’s rights. Like Project Alert, BAOBAB actively documents their work, believing that information and statistics are crucial in emphasising the gender inequalities that exist in our society and in presenting strong arguments for the importance of safeguarding women’s rights.

However, while Project Alert’s support services are a prominent part of their programming, an integral aspect of BAOBAB’s work is the focus on the intersection between the law and human rights.

BAOBAB focuses on women’s legal rights issues under the three systems of law in Nigeria: customary; statutory and religious. BAOBAB’s stated mission is “to promote women’s human rights principally via improving knowledge, exercise and development of rights under religious laws, customary laws and statutory laws.”

It sets out to achieve these through its 4 working groups:

The Research and Capacity Building group conducts research, documents findings and builds capacity in different areas, based on the identified needs of women in particular. This includes the Women and Laws Project, workshops and conferences, legal literacy leaflets, and internships.

The Information, Communication, Education and Networking group coordinates the information sharing between BAOBAB and its stakeholders and includes the BAOBAB newsletter, general alerts, formation and management of coalitions and information services to NGOs.

The Peace Building, Interpretation of Laws and Legal Defence group addresses background and conceptual issues regarding women’s human rights in religious laws and how interpretation of laws affects women adversely. It also aims to provide platforms for discussing women’s human rights issues, to develop appropriate intervention strategies to bridge the gap of understanding of these issues, to mediate in violence against women cases in both private and public spheres and provide counselling support to survivors.

The Mobilization and Advocacy group sensitises communities on issues that affect women and prevent them from actualizing their potential in different spheres. This work includes the formation and coordination of community-based outreach teams, legislative and social Advocacy through international and regional treaties to protect and promote women’s human rights, e.g. CEDAW, engendering the police, judges and legislature, and participating in advocacy solidarity campaigns like the “16 Days Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.”

Learn more about BAOBAB’s work at their website: http://baobabwomen.org

Dec

4

By Omokemi

A spouse may be a gynecologist but never agree to use a condom with his wife.

Anytime he wants to have fun, the wife must be ready and cooperate but anytime she initiates the move for the act, he may not feel compelled to cooperate.

Whenever he wants to have fun and she gives a reason why she won’t be able to cooperate, he may wonder why he has not given it a serious thought to get a mistress.

Any time it is her menstrual period, he is very edgy and distant.

A day after the birth of the first baby, he may demand to have fun with the wife which may result in a tear.

By the time she is two months pregnant with the fifth baby, he may want her to go and hide  somewhere (probably abroad) to have the baby before the pregnancy becomes noticeable.

Does the above portray your marriage or the marriage of someone you know? Be sensitized about the right of the woman. Educate yourself. Educate others. Reduce violence against women.

Dec

3

By Oreoluwa

The horrendous rape and murder of youth corper Grace Ushang in September shocked and angered the nation. Ms. Ushang was abducted and raped to death by a gang of men in Maiduguri, Borno allegedly because they were offended by her wearing trousers (which happens to be the uniform of youth corpers).

This is another example of violence against women that is so pervasive in our society. Rather than condemning and addressing the violence, the blame is often shifted to the victims. In this case, the Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps urged youth corpers to ‘take their personal security seriously.’

In other cases, the victims are accused of dressing in a provocative way that would only naturally attract unwanted male attention. In 2008 the chairperson of the Nigerian Senate’s Committee on Women, Senator Ufot Ekaette, introduced a bill in the Senate to prohibit ‘indecent dressing’. The bill covers any female above 14 years wearing a dress that exposes ‘her breast, lap, stomach and waist … and any part of her body from two inches below her shoulders downwards to the knee.’ The bill would invite both the police and citizens to pounce on women perceived to be indecently dressed. In a nation where unfair on-the-spot justice is routinely meted out, the opportunities for abuse of this bill are too horrific to imagine.

In honour of the late Grace Ushang, the Nigerian Feminist Forum is organising a march and vigil tomorrow (Dec 4).

When: Friday, 4th December, 2009 (2PM)
Where: Agindingbi Senior Grammar, Agindingbi off Lateef Jakande Road, Ikeja, Lagos

Learn more about the Grace Ushang Foundation and read the invitation letter to the vigil below:

*********************************

Dear All,

In the spirit of solidarity and support for the family of late Grace Ushang – (the Youth Corper raped and killed while properly dressed in her NYSC uniform in Maiduguri, Borno State) the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) is organising a peace vigil and a march to speak up and speak out against violence against women and the indecent dressing bill.

I urge you all to attend this event to show your support for the cause and your belief in the fact that NO INDIVIDUAL HAS THE EXCUSE TO RAPE A WOMAN ON ACCOUNT OF HER DRESSING.

Venue: Agindingbi Senior Grammar, Agindingbi off Lateef Jakande Road, Ikeja Lagos
Time: 2pm prompt
Date: Friday, 4th December, 2009

Dress Code: Black
Also come along with a candle stick.
Bring family, friends and loved ones.

I thank you all and look forward to marching with my sisters and brothers in solidarity.

Sincerely,
Amy Oyekunle
Executive Director, KIND

Dec

3

By Oreoluwa

The Global Fund for Women is another organisation commemorating the 16 Days of Activism by highlighting the work of five of their grantee partners who approach violence against women from a human rights perspective, and how the eradication of such violence is critical to achieving genuine peace and security.

Visit the Global Fund website to learn about their grantees’ work.

In addition, Global Fund produced a video in which their staff say why they’re concerned about violence against women.

The Global Fund for Women is an international network of women and men committed to a world of equality and social justice. We advocate for and defend women’s human rights by making grants to support women’s groups around the world.

Thank you, Sande, for sharing information about Global Fund’s participation in the campaign with us.

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