Unveiling the Impediments in the Implementation of the Law on Domestic Violence against Women: Nigeria as Case Study

Abstract

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms ofDiscrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol contain comprehensive and wide-ranging provisions for promoting and protecting the Human Rights of Women. As a party to the UNCEDAW, Nigeria equally domesticated the Convention and other Laws for the promotion and protection of the rights of women against domestic violence. Despite these provisions, findings indicate that the rights of women against domestic violence are inadequately protected in Nigeria. This is mainly due to ineffective implementation of the existing laws, legislation and convention as enshrined for the protection of women against violence. Various impediments such as cultural practices, illiteracy, economic, Legal and political factors havebeen identified as fundamentally affecting the efficacy of the laws bothering on the rights of women, and arefound to have contributed to the violation of women against domestic violence. Domestic violence covers various aspects of violence and harassment to which women are subjected in Nigeria. The aim of this paper is to expose these impediments confronting effective implementation of these laws. To achieve this aim, some international and domestic instruments relevant to the subject undertaken shall be reviewed with a highlight of the impact on women in Nigeria. The conclusion shall look into efforts made to integrate the CEDAW into Nigerian law. There is still a wide gap between the provisions of the laws and practice, therefore, more needs to be done to mainstream it across all policy areas and reflect the paradigm shift of women as human rights issues as reflected in the convention. It proposes among others that there is need to move from policy to implementation while steps are taken to improve the awareness about the UNCEDAW among the general public.