1.1million women displaced by Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria- Report
Doosuur Iwambe, Abuja
At least 1.1million Nigerian women, 500,000 girls of reproductive age are among the 2.2 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by the Boko Haram insurgents in Northeast Nigeria.
According to the latest report released by Center for Reproductive Rights (the Center),Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), 1.17 million of the internally displaced persons in northeast Nigeria are women while 510,555 are girls of reproductive age.
The report revealed that lack of primary human needs, violation of reproductive rights, and lack of accountability mechanisms, are making life difficult for women and girls living in the IDPs camps.
It disclosed that sexual exploitation, HIV transmissions, inadequate access to sexual and reproductive health services, maternal deaths, and injuries among impacts of conflict on women and girls
“Increased cases of sexual exploitation, HIV transmission, inadequate access to reproductive health services, maternal deaths, and injuries are among myriad challenges women and girls grapple with in armed conflict zones”.
While revealing the effects of Boko Haram conflict on the sexual reproductive health and rights of women and girls affected by the conflict, the report revealed further that sexual exploitation and sexual violence, including demands for transactional sex to access food and nonfood items are commonplace, inadequate assistance to the IDPs.
Speaking on the development, Senior Counsel for Africa, Center for Reproductive Rights, Onyema Afulukwe called on governments and policy makers to prioritize legal and institutional mechanisms for addressing these violations.
He said, “sadly, women and girls who have experienced reproductive health and rights violations due to the conflict have no meaningful access to justice because of weak accountability mechanisms in conflict zones, even though human rights protections are guaranteed by national, regional and international laws that Nigeria is bound by”.
Also, Chinonye Obiagwu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria and National Coordinator, Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP) said, it was unfortunate that many women sexually abused by insurgents lost their pregnancies.
“Many women and girls who have been sexually abused by the insurgents have lost pregnancies, those who did not, ultimately gave birth without any skilled attendance while camped out on roads, while seeking shelter underneath trees, in abandoned buildings, and in military detention centers. Many suffered severe maternal injuries, and others died.
“The government of Nigeria must take immediate steps to comply with international and regional human rights obligations regarding access to maternal health care, abortion, and related services for survivors of sexual violence”, she added.
READ ALSO: LEDAP decries low participation of women in politics
The report further urged the Nigerian government to comply with international and regional human rights obligations regarding access to maternal health care services, abortion, and other related sexual reproductive health and rights services for survivors of sexual violence to ensure women and girls affected by conflict-related violence can access comprehensive medical and support services, including psychosocial support.
It also recommended the need to put in place measures to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence, including ensuring that human rights sensitivity trainings are provided to IDP camp managers and to security personnel before deployment to conflict-affected areas, IDP camps, and host communities International Community.
It read in parts; “the international community, including relevant organizations and agencies from the United Nations, African Union, and Economic Community of West African States, should call for a broad and robust understanding of accountability, which is participatory and transparent, to ensure effective and adequate access to justice.
“Stakeholders including humanitarian providers and development partners should support the government in rebuilding, staffing, and restocking health facilities to mitigate the high levels of preventable maternal deaths due to poor quality of care.
“They should also ensure access to comprehensive SRHR services, including psychosocial counseling and support. They should apply a human-rights-based approach to their policies and programs to ensure that the provision of sexual and reproductive health information and services is fully integrated into their humanitarian response, and that services are available, accessible, acceptable, and of good quality”.
