A child bride’s ordeal

This story from Inside Arewa News gives a clear picture of what life is like for a typical child bride.

MY NAME IS FATIMA MUSTAPHA. I AM 21 YEARS OLD. I AM FROM MAKARFI IN KADUNA STATE. I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY DIVORCE DIARIES WITH YOU.

I was married off at age 11. In my village, most of us were married by age 12 to preserve our purity. I am still not sure what that means. I never thought it would happen to me because my parents allowed me to attend school instead of hawking and I loved school alot. In my school nobody made me do extra work because I was a girl. I loved school because I loved coming first and being ahead of the boys in my class. I was in JS2 when my mother started talking about getting me married. I honestly thought she was joking until my uncle brought his friend to our house as my suitor.

Help! Children in Prison

To any visitor, the exterior of the Badagry Prison complex located at the beachfront of the historic Badagry town looks deserted and without any activity — a false impression, given the number of inmates inside. It has the same features as most prisons in Nigeria – heavy green gates, high walls, heavily armed security personnel and a vast army of eagle-eyed prison wardens who go through the daily motions of receiving new inmates and also ensuring that inmates serve their time. But it is a house of horror as any visitor would find out.

Land rights defenders draw U.N’s attention to their plight

Thomson Reuters Foundation, Rina Chandran writes on land rights defenders appeal to the U.N.

Dozens of land rights defenders from 29 countries have written to the United Nations to draw attention to the increasing violence they face from states and corporations, and calling for greater vigilance in ensuring governments comply with laws.

A survivor’s recipe to tackling mental health

Hello there!

My name is Hauwa and I’m the founder of She Writes Woman, a movement that takes back the mental health narrative in Nigeria.

I started this movement 2 months after a near suicide attempt. I was diagnosed with bipolar and post-traumatic stress disorder with a bit of psychosis 2 years ago after years of extreme mood cycles that simply messed me up.

Tech companies need to step-up fight against misogyny in the wider culture

Former Uber, female general manager narrates her ordeal in the Tech industry on U.S TechCrunch. In this report by Benedetta Arese Lucini, it is shocking that women at the peak of their career in developed world, continue to be subjected to all manner of discriminations. We might still be a long way from true women emancipation.

Tech companies must do more to fight misogyny in the wider culture

Tunisia: a beacon on gender equality rights for the Muslim world

AP Photo/Amine Landoulsi

Tunisia leadership under 90-year-old President Beji Caid Essebsi is poised to transform the Muslim nation by achieving full equality for Muslim men and women in the country. The latest is the abolition of a 1973 law which unlike their male counterparts, prohibits Tunisian women from marrying non-Muslims unless they convert to Islam and show prove of their conversion.

IPOB: The illegality of terrorist designation and proscription of the group by Nigerian government

Two anomalies have occurred today in dealing with the  challenges posed by IPOB.

First, the Nigerian Armed Forces,  through the Ministry of Defence (Defence Headquarters),  announced that it (IPOB) has been designated  a ” terrorist organization “.

Second,  the Governors of the South East States  rose  from their meeting with the military in Enugu , and announced that  IPOB  and it’s activities have been proscribed in all the South Eastern states.

Both steps are illegal and unconstitutional.

Nigerian Human Rights Community Issue Communique

MEETING OF NIGERIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY HELD ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2017 AT THE NIGERIAN BAR ASSOCIATION (NBA) CONFERENCE CENTRE, HIGH COURT PREMISES, OWERRI, IN RESPONSE TO HUMAN RIGHTS EMERGENCY IN IMO STATE, SOUTHEAST NIGERIA

COMMUNIQUE

Human rights groups from across Nigeria convened a meeting in Owerri, Imo State in Southeast Nigeria on 9 September 9, 2017 to deliberate on various issues of concern for the protection of human rights in Imo State and south-east Nigeria in general. The meeting took place against the background of a spate of recent demolitions of human and commercial habitation in the State, culminating in the controversial demolition of Eke Ukwu Owerri on or about 26 August 2017.

NGO regulation bill: A grave danger to Nigeria’s Democracy

Press Statement

For immediate release

Abuja-Nairobi-Lagos-London, 08 September, 2017: Leading figures from the Nigerian and global academia, media, civil society, law and multi-national organizations from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America have today called on Nigeria to withdraw the NGO Regulatory Commission Bill currently being considered by the National Assembly (federal parliament).