Lagos (Nigeria) — Up to two-thirds of women in certain communities
in Lagos State, Nigeria are believed to have experienced physical,
sexual or psychological violence in the family, with neither the
Lagos government nor the Federal government doing anything to stem
the tide of violence - and in some cases even condoning it, said
Amnesty International at a press conference today launching a new
report, Nigeria: Unheard voices - violence against women in the
family.

"On a daily basis, Nigerian women are beaten, raped and even murdered
by members of their family for supposed transgressions, which can
range from not having meals ready on time to visiting family members
without their husband’s permission," said Stephane Mikala, Deputy
Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme. "Tragically,
husbands, partners and fathers are responsible for most of the
violence against these women — and the government has a duty to
protect them."

In some cases, vicious acid attacks have left women with horrific
disfigurements, in a brutal form of punishment known as an "acid
bath". Such violence is deliberately intended to mutilate or kill -
and many women subjected to an “acid bath” die as a result of the
attack.

"This and other violence persist because discriminatory laws condone
certain forms of violence against women," said Itoro Eze-Anaba of the
Legal Defence and Assistance Project (LEDAP), who contributed to the
study. "Dismissive attitudes within the police and a justice system
that is difficult to access compound the failures of the state to
protect women’s rights."

Violence against women in the home is generally regarded as belonging
to the private sphere in Nigeria, and therefore to be shielded from
outside scrutiny. A culture of silence reinforces the stigma attached
to the victim rather than condemning the perpetrator of such crimes.

However, women and men in Nigeria are increasingly drawing attention
to injustice and discrimination against women, and asserting the
rights of the women and girls who suffer violence in the home. One of
their main challenges is that crimes of rape and other forms of
violence in the home are seriously under-reported - with the result
that perpetrators are rarely brought to justice.

"The criminal justice system in our country provides almost no
protection for women from violence in the home or community," said
Itoro Eze-Anaba. "The police and courts often dismiss domestic
violence as a family matter and refuse to investigate or press
charges. Furthermore, the few rape victims who summon up the courage
to take their cases to court face humiliating rules of evidence,
patronizing and discriminatory attitudes from police and court
officials, and little chance of justice."

Discriminatory legislation further compounds the problem of violence
against women in Nigeria. For example, under the Nigerian Criminal
Code, the penalty for indecent assault against a man is higher than
that for a woman:

"Any person who unlawfully and indecently assaults any male person is
guilty of a felony, and is liable to imprisonment for three years.“(Section 353)”Any person who unlawfully and indecently assaults a woman or girl is
guilty of a misdemeanour, and is liable to imprisonment for two
years." (Section 360)

Amongst Amnesty International’s recommendations to the Nigerian
government to tackle the problem of violence against women in the
home is for authorities to:

– monitor violence against women in the home;
– ban it in law and repeal laws that allow it to flourish;
– end discrimination against women in the criminal justice system;
and
– take positive measures to challenge social prejudices against
women.

"The Nigerian government must take immediate action to meet its
obligations under international human rights law, including the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women, against to prevent violence against women," said Stephane
Mikala.

"The courage of individual women who have spoken out about their
experiences of violence has given hope to others and must be met with
full support from all Nigerian authorities — including by assisting
women to escape violence, securing justice for the victims, and to
actively promote changes in social attitudes so as to finally bring
an end to violence against women in the home."

For further information or to see a copy of the full report, please see
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engafr440042005