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9 Nnamdi Azikiwe U. J. Int'l L. & Juris. 1 (2018)

handle is hein.journals/naujilj9 and id is 1 raw text is: 



NAUJILJ   9 (1) 2018

    EFFECTIVENESS OF NIGERIA'S INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS IN CURBING
                                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Abstract
Domestic  violence is a global problem which cuts across race, ethnicity and geographical location. It
is a serious universal scourge pervading every society and thus calling for serious attention and action.
African women, like their counterparts all over the world, suffer domestic violence irrespective of class,
age, religion or social status. In Nigeria, domestic violence has become endemic; a social, economic
and  health concern. This paper examines the issue of domestic violence in Nigeria to determine the
effectiveness ofNigeria's international obligations in curbing the menace, suggesting how best to make
these international instruments relating to domestic violence even more effective in their application.
The  need for a final solution cannot be over-emphasised, thus the need to make the international
instruments more  effective. The paper suggests that Judges  should be  bold and  courageous  in
interpreting the Constitution and laws of the land so as to link them up with the international treaties
even  if not domesticated. The article concludes that ratified international treaties would be more
effective if used as additional resources for curtailing the abuse of victims of domestic violence.

Keywords:  Domestic violence, Treaties, Effective, Nigeria

1. Introduction:
Domestic  violence is a global problem which cuts across race, ethnicity, and geographical location. It
is a serious universal scourge pervading every society and thus calling for serious attention and action.
African women,  like their counterparts all over the world, suffer domestic violence irrespective of class,
age, religion or social status.' In Nigeria, domestic violence has become endemic; a social, economic
and health concern. It is equally a development problem. It is estimated that one in every three women
suffers domestic violence from the hands of those who claim to love and protect them.2 According to
the World Health Organisation, 'One third of women, and more than two thirds in some countries have
experienced physical or sexual violence inflicted by an intimate partner... '3 Unfortunately, many of the
victims suffer in silence and do not report the violence mainly due to lack of positive response from the
society. Worse still, some of the victims do condone it, claiming it is a sign of love. Adebayo noted that,
'Unfortunately, a staggering 97.2 per cent of the abused women   do  not report the crime to the
authorities.' Those victims who sum up courage to report the violence to the police get so disappointed
because the matter is seriously trivialised and termed a private matter. If report is made to a senior
member  of the family the reaction may be, what did you do?; you may have caused the beating by your
behavior, and the issues ends with advise to be of good behavior and to be patient as everything will be
alright. It is in fact unfortunate that some of our discriminatory laws condone and even legalise some
forms  of domestic violence. The perpetrator of violence thus, mostly is not condemned, and not
punished. In any case, laws have been enacted in parts of Nigeria to deal with all sorts of gender based
violence including domestic  violence. Sadly, domestic violence persists with its attendant socio-


*By Ifeoma Pamela  ENEMO,   mni, Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.
She is on Sabbatical Leave at the Department of International Law and Jurisprudence, Faculty of Law, Nnamdi
Azikiwe University, Awka.
'I Eze-Anamba, Domestic Violence and Legal Reforms in Nigeria: Prospects and Challenges (2007) Cardozo
Journal of Law and Gender 12: 21-59.
2 AA Adebayo, Sociological Implications of Domestic Violence on Children's Development in Nigeria, Journal
ofAfrican Studies and Development (2014) Vol 6(1) p 1.
3 WUNRN,  Violence Against Women: Unacceptable and Unmeasured http://hdr.undo.org Accessed 2/2/2018.
4 Adebayo n 2 above.


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