To all the workers in Nigeria I salute your resilience and courage. It takes only the brave and courageous to survive in this country, where workers welfare is nothing to write home about. Let’s take our bravery to a new level and demand what rightfully belongs to us in line with international best practices.
LET’S DEMAND :
Decent work
Access to productive and suitably remunerated work
Safety at the workplace
Social protection for families
Better prospects for personal development and social integration
Freedom for individuals to set out their claims
Freedom to organize and to participate in decisions that affect their lives
Equal opportunity and treatment for all men and women – Inclusion of people living with disability
Protection and sustenance of our national wealth and integrity
YES, Decent work is not just an objective, it is a means of achieving the specific targets of sustainable development.
The four pillars of the Decent Work Agenda as stated by the UN are employment creation, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue – these are the focus of the new Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 . Goal 8 of the 2030 Agenda calls for the promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.
Let’s be deliberate and intentional about this.
God bless and protect the Nigerian Workers as you focus on enthroning Decent Work for Nigerians.
“And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in”. Isaiah 58:12.
God bless you all!
AWLA President
Mandy Asagba
INTRODUCTION
This is to commemorate year 2020 International Day of the Girl Child.
For a raised voice to excel, be powerful and very effective, it has to contain certain crucial elements. It’s no wonder therefore that not every raised voice excels. How therefore, can the voice of the girl-child be made effective so that when raised, it can excel?
Here are four essential wisdom pillars, I believe if wisely activated and utilised, would remarkably transform the voice of the girl-child and make her highly successful in her endeavour.
The Four Wisdom Pillars.
- AWARENESS: An effective voice must be fully conscious and possess relevant knowledge:
- The Girl child must know (who she is), that she is a human being and very special one.
- She must be conscious of her environs and society; She must know her rights and know they would be infringed upon.
- She must know what to do whenever those rights are trampled on.
- She must learn and know how to rightly defend herself.
- She must be aware that most of the time, silence is a killer; that to be silent could be tragic.
- CLARITY: The effective voice must be clear.
- She must have clarity of mind, clarity of pursuit and clarity of purpose.
- She must say what she means and mean what she says.
- RESPONSIBILITY:
- The effective voice is responsible, focus, studious and is determined to excel.
- The effective voice responds appropriately, behaves responsibly and is not afraid to seek justice, take-up important duties, or face challenges!
- COURAGEOUS: The effective voice is courageous.
- She must courageously pursue challenging dreams and aspirations; takes on uncommon academic pursuits despite discriminations and gears up to change negative narratives about her gender.
- She must be courageously innovative; seeks to be technologically savvy, have the courage to say ‘NO!’ to abusers, sexual predators and discriminations of all kinds.
AWARENESS/ KNOWLEDGE
Some prevalent issues of which the Girl-Child must have knowledge:
Gender-based Violence: This is violence directed against a person because of their gender. Below are the ways It Affects The Girl Child:
Sexual Violence: Any sexual act involving a girl-child (with or without her consent) is unlawful. Sexual violence takes the form of rape, sexual assault, defilement etc
Psychological Violence: This can take the form of, coercion, verbal insult, intimidation or harassment.
Economic Violence: Any act or behaviour which causes economic harm to the girl Child. Economic violence can take the form of, resisting the girl child rights to education or her right to be paid where she’s trading to earn a living.
Cultural Oppression: This includes; Child Marriage, Body shaming, FGM –Female Genital Mutilation- Female circumcision is a violation of girls human rights.
Gender Discrimination-prejudicial Treatments: This includes inequalities of all kinds and all kinds-of stigmatisation.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”– Martin Luther King.
CLARITY
The human voice is an integral part of our humanity. It is an actively visible emblem that must be lawfully, maximally and personally utilized for each of us to excel. It is why clarity is so important. Having the capacity to project appropriate sounds at the right time can make a critical difference in the way a human, adult or child is perceived and treated. Sometimes, it makes a difference between life and death!
For instance, there are many ways in which ‘NO!’ can be said ineffectively. To prevent abuse on your person, you must learn to say ‘No!’ appropriately. Do not say, “No!” vaguely or insufficiently. Do not say it shyly. Do not say it giggling! Firmly reject the act that makes you uncomfortable, even if such act is from a family member.
- Say it loudly. Repeat it again and again.
- Shout it out and mean it! Be assertive! Then follow up with Actions. Reject the act of abuse, walk away and run away from the scene.
- Tell somebody about the abuse. Swiftly gets support as early as possible.
Make it an habit to report abuse of any kind. - You cannot practise this too often enough. Shout. Do not be afraid to speak out!
RESPONSIBILITY
BE Responsible. One very good way to be responsible in attitude is to focus on your studies and Avoid Broken Focus.
Today, many challenges betide the girl child. Practically, it seems the odds are against her. This we see in the increasing statistics on Teenage pregnancy and the waning good morality in our society.
Consequently, we have more sexually charged atmosphere and increase in criminal activities. More than ever before, the environment is dangerous to the girl child.
Unfortunately, by her attitude, she seems to have resigned to becoming much less of what she is created to be.
Broken focus is caused by the force of distraction. Distraction arises when a person is captivated by things that distract the mind from focusing on the most important mission at hand. For instance, the following would break the focus of the girl-child.
- The Social Media.
- Distractions from opposite sex/gender.
- Peer competition and pressure–to impress the opposite sex in class/ school.
- Inappropriate relationships – leading to sexual and criminal activities.
Premature Sex.
Use your school time only to learn rather than doing rubbish like passing love notes. Concentrate on your studies, getting all the education you need. Broken focus will kill your dreams. For me, seeing the death of the lofty dreams of a girl-child is as sad as burying a loved one.
You have greatness in you. You have tremendous potential! You were not born to waste your sweet smelling fragrance on the desert air. You were born to realise your full potential.
BE COURAGEOUS
- It takes courage to uphold high moral values regardless of the shifting cultural mores.
- Breaking the gender barriers because you’re determined to succeed despite the odds is tremendously courageous.
- Speaking out against any form of injustice is courageous.
- Doing right when you are told to do wrong, is absolutely courageous.
As a girl-child, you must learn to discern:-
- When an instruction is working against the values you have been taught.
- When an instruction has the potential to do more harm than good.
- And when what you are told to do demeans your dignity, makes you uncomfortable and distorts good values and good morality.
The above are but few of the essential wisdom pillars that would transform and make the girl-child excel in all her life’s endeavours. Activating them will give her a good start to raise an effective voice in any society. Practising them doggedly will eventually enable her to excel maximally. This will ultimately bring her honour, confidence and respect.
11th October 2020.
©Tejumade A. Sijuwade-Oke, Esq
Legal Practitioner.
The Acting President of the African Women Lawyers Association, AWLA, Nigeria, S. Adepeju Oduye-Quadri, has reiterated the need to maintain the tempo in the struggle for quality rights for girls in Africa.
Mrs. Oduye-Quadri, in a statement on Sunday, stated that “Every October 11 the world observes the International Day of the Girl Child in accordance with the UN declaration of 2011 that October 11 should be specifically observed as the international day of the girl child. Therefore it has now become a day to celebrate the uniqueness of the girl child as well as amplify the unique challenges the girl child is facing on a daily basis.
“The theme for this year 2020 is My Voice, Our Equal Future and it addresses the global call to action that we should:
- Improve the lives of girls and aspire to make their lives better wherever we are.
- Increase the need for girl activism.
- Demand for laws to free the girl child from sexual and gender based violence, including the removal of cultural, social, educational and economic obstacles that are impeding their wellbeing and progress.
- In line with the aims of the 2030 Agenda for the SDGs that we should leave no one behind, it calls for a reflection and commitment on our responsibilities towards the girl child. For we are all stakeholders for the girl child. The Beijing Platform For Action also recently listed the protection of the girl child as one of the twelve (12) main areas of concern.
“In view of this, AWLA Nigeria therefore is calling out for a positive change in this regard, We must continue to strive to protect and preserve the rights and interests of our girls. The focus should be to generally secure the human rights of all girls even in this period of COVID-19 pandemic which exposed them to various challenges. Girl – child rape, defilement and abduction is still on the increase. It has become a scourge and the girl child is no longer safe. That is why the theme for this year is apt. let us raise our voices against the challenges they face so they can be safe and in turn, they will have the opportunity to excel now and in the future. Thank you all.” Oduye-Quadri said.
Background
In 1995 at the World Conference on Women in Beijing countries unanimously adopted the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action – the most progressive blueprint ever for advancing the rights of not only women but girls. The Beijing Declaration is the first to specifically call out girls’ rights.
On December 19, 2011, United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
The International Day of the Girl Child focuses attention on the need to address the challenges girls face and to promote girls’ empowerment and the fulfilment of their human rights.
- Good morning all, hope this meets you well.
African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA) is inviting you to the following events;
1. We are launching a social media campaign to push the #UniteAgainstRape on Wednesday 19th August, 2020.
Venue: all social media platforms
Time:4pm
2. A walk to End Rape and Defilement on Thursday 20th August, 2020.
Venue: Ikorodu Road by GTB, Anthony bus stop, Lagos, Nigeria. (for participants in Lagos, Nigeria)
Time: 9am
For the various States and Countries, the Coordinators and National Coordinators shall communicate the venue.
Dress code: Black with Face mask/shield
Please note that we shall ensure compliance to regulations on social distancing.
3. A virtual discourse on Rape and Child defilement: Terror unleashed on Women and Girls: Whither the World in countering this terror on Thursday 27th August, 2020.
Venue: Zoom
Time: 4pm
Kindly find attached more details of the events.
Regards.
In a country of over 206 Million people ranking 7th largest in the world, (1) coupled with its poverty status in the midst of affluence evidenced in a survey by The World Poverty Clock, an organisation that tracks world poverty in 2018 declared Nigeria the poverty capital of the world. (2)It reported ;1. That 87 million Nigerians, live in extreme poverty. 2. Defined extreme poverty as a situation when someone’s daily income is below $2 a day.3. That Nigeria is one of the countries with the least access to quality healthcare.
The Lancet, a medical journal, also in it’s 2018 survey reviewing access and quality of healthcare in 195 countries from 1990 to 2015, ranked Nigeria 140th position. Do we then in the light of the above have what it takes to battle COVID-19?
Please answer after reading through this article and tell us if we can afford to take chances and risk the lives of millions of Nigerians in the face of COVID-19 Remember life has no duplicate. JUST STAY HOME! Anything short of total lock down It’s better not imagined with the statistics herein.
How many practicing Doctors do we have? About 72,000 registered with over half the number practicing outside Nigeria. An outcry by the National Universities Commission in 2019 on the dangers of the shortage and need for minimum of 300,000 Medical Doctors to meet the WHO standard was met with deaf ears or heard but yet to take concrete step.
(3) How many Hospital beds do we have for inpatients? Five hospital beds per 10,000 population
What is the ratio to patients? One doctor per 5,00~0 people in Nigeria , compared with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of one per 600 people.
(4) How many Nurses do we have?
About 240,000 nurses and midwives and by WHO standard the country will need 471,353 nurses and midwives. (5)
Nigeria ranked 7th among 57 countries classified as facing shortage of health workers in the world and 2nd in Africa.
How many General Hospitals and Health Centers?
The Federal Ministry of Health’s (FMOH) Health Facilities (HFs) 2005 census revealed a total of 23,640 public and private hospitals in Nigeria
How many Intensive Care Units (ICU) do we have?
No accurate data. The dearth of ICUs, had resulted in the death of many Nigerians. Lagos state alone needs over 100 intensive care bed spaces but the present number is still a far cry from the standard. According to Dr. Sylvia Cole, Consultant, Intensive Care Unit, Paelon Memorial Clinic, Lagos,“No matter how rich a trauma patient is, he/she may die if there are no emergency services like an ICU to stabilise their condition. He/she may lose functions of vital organs like the kidney, liver and become brain dead within this period”.
How many Ventilators do we have ?
Nigeria has less than 500 ventilators for coronavirus patientsWith the surge in the number of reported coronavirus cases there is dire need for more ventilators to save the lives of Nigerians. Nigerians have questioned the rationale for lawmakers embarking on purchases and distribution of exotic vehicles at this critical time instead of addressing the global crisis . 400 luxury Toyota Camry 2020 Edition vehicles which cost about $30,000 X 400 = $12,000,000$30,000 can buy 6 Ventilators thus 6 X 400 ventilators can buy a total of 2,400 Ventilators. This will sure save many lives.
How many Respiratory Therapists do we have and Patients ratio?
Estimated proportion of registered respiratory physicians to the national population at 1 per 2.3 million individuals.
(5) How conducive are the ICUs, The General Hospitals and Health Centres? Far cry from World Health Organization standard with lots of mosquitoes. You must have your personal disinfectant to have a sound sleep.
How many Laboratories and Research Centers do we have ?
Less than 50 officially registered on line.
What are the sanitary conditions at the General Hospitals / Health Centres ?
Below average
How accessible are the General Hospitals/ Health Centres?
Not easily accessible.
How available are the drugs required for treatment of their ailments?
30% availability
How affordable are the drugs?
Not affordable for the MassesMany patients turned beggars for funds to purchase drugs for their treatment.
How well do the Medical/ Health Personnel treat the Patients?
Shabby treatment, disrespectful and nonchalant behavior except you apply the Nigerian oil ( grease some palms with cash) Though there are some good health personnel with integrity and character.
How long do Patients have to wait to be attended to?Average of 2-6 hours. Below that you must have applied the Nigerian oil and or gotten there at 6 am.
Do Patients get treated before payment or upfront payment before treatment even if dying?
Upfront Payment except with intervention of some NGO’s with MOU to treat accident emergency victims at no cost ( e.g The HEI’s accident emergency project, #ThatNoneShouldDie Initiative) and some special ICU cases.
How many have died in cases such as this?
Thousands – no accurate data
In 2018, Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) industry report that only 5 per cent of Nigerians have health insurance, which means most Nigerian pay for medical care out of pocket. This portends serious danger in the face of Covid -19 Though the Government has promised free treatment, however this is not 100% guaranteed if the situation get overwhelming.
A combination of widespread poverty, poor access to healthcare and low health insurance cover is a fertile ground for disaster in the face of Covid -19.
Right outside the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) at Ikeja, all the way to Ikeja bus stop indigent patients regularly beg for alms from passers-by and motorists to carry out medical tests or to pay for drugs and other medical bills. This is replete in other major hospitals across the country.
Thousands of patients die or are held hostage in hospitals because they could not afford hospital bills as little as N5,000 or less due to extreme poverty in the country.
The inability of indigent patients to pay their medical bills before treatment has caused many untimely deaths and for the few lucky to be treated, inability to pay after treatment has led to surging cases of false imprisonments ( now referred to as medical detention).
Medical detention is where patients who are unable to pay their medical bills are held hostage by private and public hospitals until they pay. A 2017 Chatham House report stated that victims of medical detentions, most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa are mostly “women requiring life-saving emergency caesarean sections, and their babies.”The report stated that people most vulnerable to medical detention are the poorest of the poor requiring emergency treatments. Subjecting them to double jeopardy – physical and verbal abuses by medical officials, further impoverishing them as they’re made to pay even for the days of forced illegal detention and causing them emotional trauma most likely to complicate their health. This is illegal and actionable. It deters healthcare use, increases medical impoverishment, and an abuse of fundamental human rights ( Right to human dignity and Right to Liberty) and the right to access to medical care.
How well remunerated are the Medical /health personnel compared to their counterparts in other climes?
House Officers/ Interns are paid between N140, 000 – N200, 000 Medical officers: N180, 000 – N200,000Resident Doctors: N190, 000 – N280, 000Consultants: N700, 000 – N800, 000
Compared to their counterparts earning well over $10,000 (equivalent of N3,600,000) a month in other climes, little wonder the mass exodus of health workers.
What is their monthly/ hazard allowance ?
N5000 This is dicey in the face of Covid -19
How many have left the country for greener pastures,
About 60% have left for greener pastures with 9 in every 10 doctors considering work opportunities outside Nigeria.
It’s time we get our priorities right: who deserves better welfare package? A doctor or a law maker? Arising from the above statistics and state of affairs, can 50% of the citizenry afford the basic sanitary products to prevent COVID 19? Can they afford running portable water to observe the regular hand washing? Can they even afford to call the toll free numbers? Do they even have phones or access to phone? If yes are their phones charged or with credit? Do they even have access to these information? Can they afford to observe social distancing considering their peculiar accommodation ? If they stay home are they guaranteed 3 square meals.
This portends serious danger.Now the crux, if civilized climes like Britain, America, Italy and Spain with better health care, facilities and good sanitary conditions, information system and better per capita income are dying in their hundreds for Covid -19 infections, WHAT WILL BE THE FATE OF NIGERIANS? Better not imagined! O GOD ARISE for your people! Any attempt at failure to take urgent, deliberate and sincere action would be tantamount to subjecting Nigerians to mass death sentence. THIS CAN BE PREVENTED!
COVID 19 FATALITIES
Italy went from 2 cases to 400 in 26 days South Africa from 1 case to 557 in 19 days, Nigeria from 1 case to 131 in 10 days
WORRISOME.
- Over 311,988 people have tested positive for the virus worldwide as at Sunday 22/3/2020
- Data from Johns Hopkins University reports that the virus has killed at least 35,000 people around the world.
- The number of cases in the U.S. has surged to 183,875 making it one of the worst hit countries in the world and has recorded 3,711 death
- China, Italy and Spain are harder hit than the U.S.
- Italy has 105,792 cases with 12,428 confirmed deaths
- Spain lost 8,269 people to the virus with 94, 412 confirmed cases.
- Though China earlier had the largest number of confirmed cases with 81,304 people testing positive and at least 3,259 deaths as at today China has 82,278 with 3,309 deaths the pandemic has largely moved to Europe and the U.S.
- WHO said more cases are being reported in Europe every day than were reported in China at the height of its epidemic. (8)
- Most U.S. confirmed cases are in New York State, which has reported major surges in infections
- Forty-five states have shut down all schools, and bars and restaurants have also closed in many areas as governments ban group gatherings and instruct people to stay indoors. California and New York, among the largest economies in the U.S., have shut down all nonessential businesses indefinitely in an effort to contain the spread of the virus.
STAY HOME! STOP THE SPREAD
The best and most experienced Doctors in the world have warned that the only way to stop the spread and save lives is to Stay at Home.
We therefore implore our leaders to take more drastic measures to stop the spread as well as cushion the effect of Covid-19 by making our stay at home bearable.
Provide uninterrupted power supply, no power disconnection for any reason whatsoever not even for non payment of power bill, supply sanitary products, food and water to Nigerians while at home.This is much cheaper than getting overwhelmed with treatment.
THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW! SAVE OUR LIVES! NO EXCUSES!!!
References
1. The Nigeria National Bureau of Statistics
2. Premium Times Monday March 23,2020
3.This Day Newspaper January 22, 2020 Article Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa
4.Isaac Folorunso Adewole, the then health minister
5. http://www.nursingworldnigeria.com/2017/05/
6. Gaps in Capacity for Respiratory Care in Developing Countries. Nigeria as a Case Study by Daniel Obaseki et al. Ann Am Thorac Soc. Apr 2015NIH US national library of medicine
7. Fine lib.com
8. CNBC Health and science
9. Statistics.com
Mandy Asagba is the President African Women Lawyers Association President @awla.africa
African Women Lawyers Association (AWLA), has implored government at all levels, to be more deliberate and intentional towards ensuring that women and children have unhindered access to justice, anywhere in Nigeria.
In order to achieve this and protect the rights of children, prevail over violence t abuse them, the group advocated for a one stop justice system for women and children, with special Federal courts with one jurisdiction and power to deal with any matter involving abuse of women and children, anywhere in Nigeria.