Alliances for Africa, a member of the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights, has called for improved media reporting on women’s rights, legal frameworks, and gender justice as a way of contributing to increased public awareness and accountability.
The group made the call during a one-day training on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, specifically on the Rights of Women in Africa, also known as the Maputo Protocol.
Speaking during the training, the resource person, Mrs Ndidi Val-Okeoma, said the Maputo Protocol is a pivotal instrument in advancing women’s rights in Nigeria and across the continent.
She added that it guarantees extensive rights to African women and girls and introduces innovative measures to prevent further violations of their rights.
She, however, noted that although Nigeria had ratified the protocol on December 16, 2004, it had not been domesticated, resulting in the continued violation of women’s rights.
According to her, while domestic laws may address some of the issues covered by the Protocol, its domestication is crucial for a comprehensive and harmonised framework for addressing gaps and inconsistencies in the existing laws.
She identified a lack of in-depth knowledge among media stakeholders as a factor hindering the full domestication and implementation of the protocol in Nigeria.
She also identified cultural resistance, legislative delays, poor representation, and lack of political will as other factors hindering the domestication of the protocol in Nigeria.
The gender rights advocate stressed the need to enhance the capacity of media stakeholders to engage in rights-based, gender- sensitive reporting that supports the realisation of women’s rights as outlined in the Maputo Protocol.
She therefore charged the media with creating awareness on the protocol benefits, promoting advocacy, and holding leaders accountable by
monitoring government progress and actions.
She stated that the domestication and successful implementation would lead to women’s empowerment, protection of women’s rights, improved healthcare, and gender equality.
