Tolulope Omosalewa Babawarun, an epidemiologist by profession, is the Senior Programmes Coordinator at the Center for Comprehensive Promotion of Reproductive Health (CCPRH) formerly known as Centre for Population and Reproductive Health (CPRH), she is passionate about women and child issues and rights. In this interview with YEJIDE GBENGA-OGUNDARE, she speaks about laws made for women protection, role of religion and culture in violation of rights and women aiding violence against their peers among other issues.
There are many laws for women’s protection, why does it seem they are not working?
The issue of laws not working in Nigeria is due to many reasons; top of the list is a lack of knowledge of the law, and if the law is known, its implementation faces many obstacles. Let us list a few: the existence of deeply rooted cultural, and social norms as well as patriarchal structures that are wrought with gender inequality place women as subordinates to men making it difficult to enforce laws that protect women’s rights. Some laws also have identified inadequacies that leave loopholes for women’s rights and protection to be exploited.
If a woman knows the law and decides to seek justice, weakness in the judicial system that leads to prolonged court cases, fear of stigmatization or retaliation, and the possible economic dependency on the man or family members may truncate the process of her seeking justice.
 Do you agree with the assertion that religion and culture aid violation of women rights?
This statement is true in the context of some religions and cultures in Africa and Nigeria. I always say that culture, defined as a people’s way of life, influences many actions that are not backed by facts but myths passed down from generation to generation.
Efforts to change such narratives are on the increase. One of such myth is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) which is practiced in many cultures in Nigeria. The practice, which is a complete violation of the rights of women and girls is backed by myths and has no benefit to the female gender. It however leads to various consequences that are experienced in the immediate, short, and long term including complications during childbirth which can result in the loss of life of both mother and child.
Often, women are the brains behind violence against other women, how can this trend be curbed?
Tradition ensured that women were the enforcers of these laws that perpetrated violence against them. This was designed to dissuade them from pushing back against them. Continuous education on the consequences of these laws using known facts and experiences has proven an effective strategy that has led to the abandonment of some of these practices. Also garnering male involvement in the pushback against these forms of violence and implementation of laws against them gives validation to some of the changes as men are seen as the custodians of culture and religion in our clime.
What are your thoughts about women in politics and leadership?
Women’s participation in politics and leadership provides an avenue for an equitable society. We represent a powerful force for change and potential to make significant contributions to the betterment of society. An example of a woman in leadership in recent times is Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, recognized nationally and internationally for her financial genius and contributions to strengthening the Nigerian system when she was in office. These and many more give credence to the capabilities of women to excel in politics and leadership roles in society considering the diverse perspectives and experiences that they bring to the table.
Despite our population, women’s representation in politics and leadership roles are marred by cultural norms, economic barriers, and political party dynamics which push women to the sideline or assign roles to them that limit their ability to make a significant impact.
Women’s participation in politics and leadership needs to be encouraged and supported. To achieve these, opportunities and resources need to be made available to them in an equitable manner. Political parties and organizations also need to ensure inclusiveness in the selection of candidates, especially when there are qualified interested in a position.
How will you access gender-based violence and child abuse in the Nigerian society?
Gender-based violence (GBV) and child abuse are sensitive topics that have received a lot of underreporting in the recent past due to the stigma and discrimination attached to it. Sometimes influenced by societal, cultural, and religious influences it manifests in various forms – Physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic violence including child labour and trafficking.
In Nigeria, the VAPP law and Child Rights Act guide and guard against the perpetration of these forms of violence. However, its domestication at the state level, knowledge, and implementation are still below average.
The government, NGOs and local CBOs have carried out awareness campaigns on these laws and there seems to be an increase in the reports of GBV and child abuse cases. This can be attributed to the increased awareness and the availability of resources that respond to GBV and child abuse in recent times. These resources are still grossly inadequate and need to be scaled up to meet the needs of the number of survivors.
Often, policies made for women don’t have impact on women at the grassroots, how can this be changed?
Firstly, policies should be designed with inclusivity in mind. When a policy is designed without the inclusion of its beneficiaries, it is bound to experience challenges during its implementation. This is the reason why policies made for women at the grassroots do not impact them positively. This can be mitigated by ensuring inclusiveness during policy design by engaging the beneficiaries and tailoring the policies to the local contexts
Policies have no impact on the end beneficiaries if they are not properly communicated to them. This can be ensured via the inclusion of traditional structures such as traditional leaders and women leaders in the policy design to ensure its dissemination using local structures.
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