By Moses Emorinken,
Individuals under the aegis of the Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Nigeria (NEPWHAN) have called on the federal and state governments to expedite action on the implementation of the Rights Bill, which will protect women, girls and even men and boys, from all forms of abuse and violence.
They noted that among the Rights Bill are the Violence against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) and the Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities Prohibition Act, which was signed into law in 2015 and 2018 respectively. However, these laws are yet to be domesticated and implemented at the state level.
During a high-level dialogue meeting on the Rights Bill within the Advocacy for Reduction of Violence Against Women Living with HIV/AIDS Seed Grant, the National Coordinator of NEPWHAN, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, explained that they seek to expedite the adoption of pending laws, including the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill and the Disability Rights Bill, and ensure that they fully comply with global convention through high-level advocacy, sensitisation of women, and involvement of policymakers and key stakeholders.
He said: “Violations are coming in different forms in our society and the target mostly is women and girls. We must articulate the issues and provide good recommendations to reduce their prevalence.
“Although it does not only affect people living with HIV, a lot of our members face stigma and discrimination daily.
“The Convention on Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW) notes that aside from the multiple forms of discrimination that women and girls face, especially physical and economic barriers in various fields, they also face discrimination in gaining access to healthcare, education and employment.”
The Principal State Counsel for the Federal Ministry of Justice, Manbyen Mamvong said: “We all are aware of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP), and other rights bills, including the Gender and Equal Opportunity Bill which, was thrown out last year.
“These Acts and bills exist, but the challenge is implementation. That is why NEPWHAN is working hard in terms of advocacy.”
