Protecting women from violence through legislation in Nigeria: Need to enforce anti-discrimination laws

Abstract

Violence against women is a commonplace and widespread phenomenon in Nigeria. It results from multifarious factors the major ones being gender discrimination/male chauvinism, despite the ratification of major international anti-discrimination laws and the enactment of national laws that prohibit violence. Preliminary investigations reveal among others, that these ratified international anti-discrimination instruments are not yet domesticated into law, while some of the national laws condone violence against women, as encouraged by the patriarchal nature of the Nigerian society which is influenced by culture and religion as enshrined within the plural Nigerian legal system. The article highlights the major Nigerian Federal legislation and their failure to adequately combat violence against women. It argues that the domestication and enforcement of CEDAW and other relevant international anti-discrimination instruments, a review of extant Nigerian laws, and the abolition of Nigerian societal practices and other obnoxious beliefs can lead to adequate protection of women from violence.