AN APPRAISAL OF THE IMPACT OF CUSTOMARY LAW ON WOMEN RIGHTS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This paper examined the impact of customary law on the rights of women in Nigeria. The work highlighted that while there are laws which guarantee the rights of women, discriminatory and degrading treatment against women is still on the increase. The paper adopted the doctrinal legal research method and analyzed primary sources including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), Rivers State Prohibition of the Curtailment of Women’s Right to Share in Family Property law, Prohibition of Violence Against Persons Act, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women among other laws. The study also analyzed case law and journals relevant to the study. The work observed that while there are laws which protect the rights of women, that women continue to suffer violation of their rights in the family, community and society at large. The paper further observed that the violation of these rights is largely attributable to the customs and traditions of the people which is highly patriarchal and the feminization of poverty. The study recommended that equality of education should be promoted for men and women, and women should be encouraged to acquire necessary skills including literacy and vocational training in order to make them economically independent and self sufficient to enforce their rights. It concluded that there must be collaborative effort by government, stakeholders and citizens to ensure that the human rights of women is adequately protected in order to enable them maximize their potential for sustainable development of the economy.