Outline of Women's Reproductive Health Rights in Nigeria

In Nigerian as in other African countries women suffer inequalities in the political social cultural and economic fields. This is so notwithstanding the fact that there are formal provisions in the several legal systems of these countries that guarantee equality of all before the law. Many constitutions of African countries including Nigeria with human rights provisions envisage equality of all citizens before the law whether male of female. In Nigeria women are not encouraged or given support to decide their choice of sexual partner to negotiate with their partners the nature of sexual activity to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy; unsafe abortion and diseases and to acknowledge their own sexuality. Women’s rights stemmed from Economic Social and Cultural Rights usually called the second generation of rights which formed the fulcrum for the activation of other rights. These rights are: rights to health education food social security and right to work under just and favourable conditions to mention just a few. These rights are guaranteed under national and international laws expressed in Charters Instruments Documents and Conventions.