By Jude Opara, Abuja
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Ford Foundation and the Legal Defence And Assistance Project (LEDAP) are collaborating to bring to end the various forms of gender based violations and discriminations in the country.
In his welcome remarks at the Consultative Forum on Eliminating Harmful Traditional and Religious Practices Impacting the Rights of Women and Gender Equality in Nigeria, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu said the meeting was coming at the right time when the human dignity, bodily integrity and life chances of far too many Nigerian women and girls remain under persistent threat from practices that are harmful, discriminatory and unlawful.
“Gender-based violence and harmful practices — from female genital mutilation and child and forced marriage to widowhood rites, discriminatory inheritance practices and other forms of community-sanctioned abuse — continue to exact a heavy toll on millions of women and girls across our nation.
“These practices are not merely personal tragedies — they are violations of fundamental human rights protected under our Constitution, domestic legislation and international obligations. They deny girls the right to education and health, they rob women of economic opportunities and autonomy, and they fuel cycles of poverty and marginalization. They also undermine community wellbeing and impede national development. For example, according to UNICEF, child marriage truncates schooling and pushes girls into early motherhood, with lifelong consequences for health and economic empowerment”.
