Preventing violence against women: time to uphold an important aspect of the reproductive health needs of women in Nigeria

Violence against women (VAW) is one area of reproductive health that has not been given due consideration in Nigeria despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to many international conventions on eliminating violence against women and promoting human rights. VAW is increasingly being recognised as a serious public health issue resulting in significant physical psychological and social impairment. The World Health Organization nongovernmental organisations and other agencies have recognised this and called on countries to take appropriate measures to prevent violence against women. The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development Programme of Action is very specific about sexual violence when it states: "Countries should take full measures to eliminate all forms of exploitation abuse harassment and violence against women adolescents and children". Also one of the key issues addressed at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 was the elimination of violence against women. Several years after these conferences and conventions which Nigeria ratified violence against women still affects the lives of millions of women worldwide and cuts across ethnic cultural and religious barriers impinging on the rights of women to participate fully in society. In Nigeria there is gross under-reporting of VAW but available data indicate that 24-79% of women have experienced physical assault by an intimate partner. Unfortunately this is tolerated as a cultural norm and accepted more or less as part of the rules guiding intimate relationships as entrenched in parts of the penal code operating in some states in Nigeria. (excerpt)