So, i came across this list and i was really surprised that Nigeria was not among the top 5. I believe that any country that is religious will oppress and subjugate the women. That is what religion does, it discriminates against women. Which is exactly the case with Nigeria.
Nigerian women are regarded as subordinate to men. The patriarchal nature of traditional Nigerian society enables men to dominate women. Women are seen as properties of their husbands. This culture demeans women and contributes greatly to gender-based violence.
I’ll list a few reasons why it sucks to be a woman in Nigeria.
Citizenship Rights
Did you know that Foreign women married to Nigerian men are allowed to become Nigerian citizens but foreign men married to Nigerian women cannot become citizens of Nigeria except through naturalization? This can be found in the Section 26 (2) (a) of the 1999 constitution.
Husband’s Consent Letter to obtain a standard Nigerian Passport
One of the requirements for a married woman to obtain a Nigerian Passport is to produce a letter of consent from her husband, as a condition for issuance of her international passport.
This was declared unconstitutional in 2009, by the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt when Dr. Priye Iyalla-Amadi sued the NIS (Nigeria Immigration Service) for their discriminatory policy against women. NIS argued that the requirement for consent was put in place to perpetuate the authority of the man over his wife, no matter the status she had attained in society. Although this requirement was declared unconstitutional in 2009, it is still a requirement for Married Women.
Discrimination against female police officers
a) Maternity leave
Section 126 of the police Regulations A married woman police officer who is pregnant may be granted maternity leave in accordance with the provisions of general orders. However section 127 states that an unmarried woman police officer who becomes pregnant shall be discharged from the Force, and shall not be re-enlisted except with the approval of the Inspector-General.
b) Women police to apply for permission to marry
Section 124 of the Police Regulations says A woman police officer who is desirous of marrying must first apply in writing to the commissioner of police for the State Police command in which she is serving, requesting permission to marry and giving the name, address, and occupation of the person she in- tends to marry. Permission will be granted for the marriage if the intended husband is of good character and the woman police officer has served in the Force for a period of not less than three years. According to rule 122, married women are disqualified from enlisting in the Police;
Marital Rape
In the Nigerian Criminal Code, Section 357 states that, “Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if the consent is obtained by force or by means of threats or intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm, or by means of false and fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act, or, in the case of a married woman, by personating her husband, is guilty of an offence which is called rape.” This suggests that only men rape and a woman cannot rape a man.
Section 6 of the Criminal Code defines unlawful carnal knowledge as that which takes place otherwise than between husband and wife; and the offence is complete upon penetration. In other words marital rape is not an offence in Nigeria. A husband cannot rape his wife.
Assault on Women
Sections 350 and 363 of the Criminal Code cover the same offence (unlawful and indecent assault) but provide for a lesser punishment when the victim is female (two years imprisonment) than when the victim is male (three years imprisonment). This punishment creates the impression that one gender is superior to the other.
These are unlawful and unconstitutional on the grounds that it discriminates between Nigerian Citizens on the grounds of sex, and offends the equality of citizens principle enshrined in sections 17 (1), (2) and (42) of the 1999 constitution which states that all citizens of Nigeria are put on the same pedestal irrespective of sex and status.
These are just a few, don’t want to make this too long. What angers you about being a Nigerian Woman?
Naija Woman Chronicles 