Patriarchy, that is, male supremacy is a system in which the power is in the hands of men. Society has been shaped by the thoughts and ideologies of one half of the population while the other half, the women, have been subjugated for centuries and made to be of no value. In fact in certain cultures, the worst thing a woman can hear after the pain of childbirth is "it's a girl" - it is that bad.
In my country, Nigeria, women are discriminated against at almost every level; in government, in the family, in religious circles and in business. This discrimination stems from deep cultural and religious beliefs that put women in the same space as minors and chattel. The unmarried woman is her father's property (or of the oldest male) while the married woman is her husband's property.
Before I continue this discourse, I would like to plainly say that I am not a man-hater and I have a deep love and respect for my husband. This article came about when I had cause to research about laws pertaining to women in Nigeria and what I found out broke my heart; let me share my discovery with you.
Assault on Females
Section 353 of the Criminal Code states that "Any person who unlawfully and indecently assaults any male person is guilty of a felony [a serious crime], and is liable to imprisonment for three years. The offender cannot be arrested without warrant." However Section 360 of the same Criminal Code has this to say "Any person who unlawfully and indecently assaults a woman or girl is guilty of a misdemeanor[a minor wrongdoing], and is liable to imprisonment for two years."
Marital Rape
Some may argue that being married implies sexual consent but any form of non-consensual rape is rape and it should not matter who the perpetrator is. The story in Nigeria is different because according to the law, a man cannot rape his wife. Section 182 of the Penal Code provides that “sexual intercourse by a man with his own wife is not rape if she has attained puberty.” This means that men that marry young girls cannot be accused of rape because "she has attained puberty."
Discrimination against female police officers
As seen on premiumtimesng.com:
- Police women on duty are prohibited from putting on jewelry except wedding or engagement rings and /or wristwatches; applying face powder, lipstick or colored nail varnish
- Police Women are required to place the alphabet ‘W’ before their rank.Compensation, Gratuity and Disability Pensions: provision was made for payment only to “wife‟ or “widow‟. No reference to spouses (husbands)
- Police women married to civilian husbands are disallowed from living in police barracks.
- Travel allowance made only for accompanying ‘wife’ and children. No husbands.
- According to Section 121 of the Police Regulations, women police officers shall as a general rule be employed on duties which are concerned with women and children.
- According to rule 122, married women are disqualified from enlisting in the Police; a Police Woman who is single at the time of her enlistment must spend two (2) years in service before applying for permission to marry giving particulars of fiancé who must be investigated and cleared before permission for marriage is granted.
- Section 125 of the police regulation states that “A married woman police officer shall not be granted any special privileges by reason of the fact that she is married and shall be subjected to posting and transfer as it were unmarried.”
- Section 126 of the police Regulations provides that “A married woman police officer who is pregnant may be granted maternity leave in accordance with the provisions of general order (a federal government instruction that regulated the condition of public officials). However, an unmarried woman police officer who is pregnant shall be discharged from the force.”
Husband's Consent Letter to obtain a standard Nigerian Passport
The Nigerian Immigration Service states on their website that one of the requirements for obtaining a standard Nigerian Passport is a husband's letter of consent. Although a federal court ruled against this in 2009 when Dr. Priye Iyalla-Amadi sued the NIS for their discriminatory policy against women, it is still advertised on NIS website as a requirement.
Citizenship Rights
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.
The former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said that "women themselves have the right to live in dignity, in freedom from want and freedom from fear." There is no better time for women to thrive than now because the future of our world depends on it.
There is no better time than now to create the balance the world sorely needs.