From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
In order to accelerate national growth and development, BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, a civic society organisation, has urged journalists to advance women’s rights in their work using the Maputo Protocol.
According to Baobab, the Maputo Protocol, which the African Union (UN) formally adopted and which Nigeria has also ratified, aims to promote and protect the rights of African women by addressing the unique difficulties they encounter, such as gender-based violence, discrimination, and limited access to healthcare and education.
This was disclosed during a one-day sensitisation workshop with the theme: Accelerating Women’s Progress with the Maputo Protocol: The Role of the Nigerian Media’, which was recently held in a Abuja for journalists from different states.
BAOBAB Executive Director, Bunmi Dipo-Salami, said the workshop was organised in partnership with the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) through Equality Now and the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) to advocate the domestication and implementation of the Maputo Protocol as well as familiarize journalists with its contents.
Salami explained that the treaty aimed to end discrimination against women and promote their full and equal involvement in all facets of society, including the social, economic, and political sectors.
“The Maputo Protocol offers significant potential to guarantee the rights of women and girls as it covers a wide range of issues related to women’s rights, including the right to participate in government and politics, the right to own and inherit property, the right to access healthcare and education, the right to control their own fertility, and the right to be protected from violence and harmful practices.
“Though considered a landmark in the promotion of women’s rights in Africa, there is still much work to be done to ensure that its provisions are fully implemented and enforced. As of April 2022, the Maputo Protocol has been ratified by 43 of the 55 AU member states, including Nigeria,” Dipo-Salami said..
She expressed optimism for improved dialogue and action to domesticate and implement the Protocol in Nigeria, as well as increased understanding and visibility of the Protocol in Nigeria for the benefit of the lives of women and girls.
On her part, Ms. Ene Ede, the event’s Chief Facilitator, asserted that journalists have a significant impact on revealing the true condition of events in society, which highlights the significance of the training.
She said: “If you look at the protocol, it talks about the basic needs as humans, nothing excessive. A major challenge to the advancement of women’s rights is the lack of domestication of international and regional treaties and poor implementation of protective national laws and policies. Hence journalists have a huge role to play to strengthen these conversations to ensure that the protocol is fully implemented.”