AFRICA ARISE

We're all in a box, a box the system has created, to contain us all, so we don't see what's ahead.

And so they tell us, go to school, graduate, serve, then queue up on the unemployment list, if you're lucky get a job shortly after, or much longer, every month get paid, use your pay to pay bills the system has created and so the money flows right back to them, in fact, if you're being very compliant, you'll probably be in debt before the next pay comes along, a vicious cycle, on and on it goes, how comfortable we've become with the way things are, loyal lab rats, every experiment pushes us even further down into the box.

Who would save us from this box, the ones who make it out of this box, when they've seen the light,never come back, even when they do, they're no longer in the box, they become shareholders in the affairs of the box.

Sometimes though, someone tries to enlighten us of our situation, we listen for a fleeting second but then we quickly recover from all the big grammar and unrealistic views they share, we met things this way, no point trying to change them, is that even possible? Change? What's that?

I'm Amaka, I'm a young lady and in a few days time now, I would turn 23, I'm suffocating in this box, I'm sick of sticking to the status quo, I'm tired of feeling guilty because I want more, I want more because I know that there is more, outside this box, there's more, out in the open, there's so much more, it's x raised to the power of infinity.

I demand for more, not just for me but for others like me, if there's a future I can foresee for myself, it's life outside this box, out in the open, making mistakes, learning from them and making a lot more mistakes,as long as I don't stop doing. That's it, I want to actively do, to not be afraid of failure because who knows some day I may actually win, winning, that's not the point, its the experience I acquire in the process, the person I become.

An Amaka who isn't afraid, who's comfortable in her own skin, who can walk down the corridor alone with head held high, who like Faraday would try over and over again until the room lights up, who is not limited by my gender or account balance, an Amaka who is awake.

In summary, I would like to wake up and when I wake, I would like to wake Africa, she's slept for too long anyway.

Africa Arise!!!!

Written by Chiamaka Ohuobah

EXPLORING THE PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF CHILD MARRIAGE ON THE CHILD BRIDE

ABSTRACT

Child marriage remains a prevalent issue across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In Africa, child marriage is predominant in Niger, Chad, Mali, Ethiopia, Central African Republic, Mozambique, Burkina faso, Malawi, Gambia and Nigeria. It is widespread in these areas due to various forces that seem to encourage the practice. These forces include poverty, illiteracy, culture, slackness on the part of the Government with regards to providing structures for the implementation of the rights of the girl child amongst others.

This paper mirrors on the issue of child marriage in Nigeria; it seeks to explore the physical and psychological impact of child marriage on the child bride and proffer possible solutions to this issue.

INTRODUCTION

Child marriage according to United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), is defined as the marriage between a girl or boy before the age of 18 and refers to both formal marriages and informal unions in which children under the age of 18 live with a partner as if married. UNICEF posits that Nigeria has the third highest absolute number of child brides in the world (3,538,000) and the 11^th highest prevalence rate of child marriage globally. It is rather unfortunate that in spite of the Laws and policies made by the Nigerian government in a bid to curb the issue and protect the rights of the vulnerable child, child marriage continues to thrive in Nigeria.  In Nigeria (especially in the northern part of the country), a lot of young girls below 18 years are usually married off to older men due to various forces that promote child marriage in the region. 

CAUSES OF CHILD MARRIAGE IN NIGERIA

Various factors have been found to contribute to the persistence of child marriage in Nigeria. These factors include:

● Poverty: Poverty has remained a deadly scourge in Nigeria despite the widespread resources abundant in the Country. Based on recent reports by the Brookings institution, data from the World Poverty Clock reveal that Nigeria has over 87 million people living in poverty. Many indigent families in Nigeria have been forced to marry off their young daughters as a means of escaping the pangs of starvation and poverty.

● Culture: Child marriage is seemingly promoted in certain parts of Nigeria due to the cultural practices inherent in such areas. Currently, the Child Rights Act (CRA) in Nigeria has not been domesticated by all the states in the nation since it is contrary to the Islamic Law provisions (Shari’a law) which are practised within some states in Northern Nigeria. While the CRA pegs the minimum legal age for marriage at 18 years, Islam does not provide a specific age that marks the end of the childhood and the commencement of adulthood. Rather, once a child begins exhibit the signs of puberty, she is considered ripe for marriage. Hence, in such places, the girl child may be married off as early as 9-12 years.

●Illiteracy: The National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non- Formal Education in 2018 reported that more than 38% (about 70 million) of Nigerians have been described as illiterates. Illiteracy has encouraged the persistence of child marriage in Nigeria. Generally, lack of education promotes ignorance and the continued practice of certain harmful traditional practices. Education is generally accepted as a veritable tool required for the enlightenment of people. 

Gender Inequality: The girl child is seen as inferior to her male counterpart in some communities within Nigeria. Hence, she is usually not offered higher education; rather she is viewed as a good that may be exchanged in return for livestock and wealth under the institution of marriage.

THE PHYSICAL IMPACT OF CHILD MARRIAGE ON THE CHILD BRIDE

The girl child is not physically and psychologically ready for marriage and its obligations. Thus, child marriage may predispose the child bride to certain serious health related problems. These problems include:

● Risk of sexually transmitted infections: The girl is at an increased risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease from her husband who usually has other sexual partners/ wives. Since she is usually naive and uniformed at the time she is married off, she may be unable to take certain precautions to prevent her from contracting any of the sexually transmitted diseases.

● Risk for cervical cancer: Cervical cancer is a life threatening disease that is caused by a virus called Human Papilloma Virus. It is a sexually transmitted infection which has early sexual contact as one of its risk factors. The child bride is put at a greater risk of contracting cervical cancer because her reproductive system is said to be more vulnerable to the virus.

● Perineal lacerations: Child marriage subjects the girl child to traumatic sexual experiences as her immature genitalia may be torn or lacerated during sex and delivery, thus predisposing her to contracting bacterial, fungal or viral infections.

 ● Complications of labour and delivery: The child bride is at an increased risk of facing any of the complications of labour and delivery. These complications range from prolonged labour and obstructed labour to pre- eclampsia. Other complications include eclampsia, perineal lacerations, post partum haemorrhage, maternal distress and foetal distress. Some of these complications may lead to maternal or foetal death if not expertly managed.

● Fistula formation: A prolonged and obstructed labour may lead to the formation of an obstetric fistula. An obstetric fistula is a small hole which is formed between the vagina and rectum, or bladder as a result of child birth. This type of fistula may result in urinary or faecal incontinence and subsequently, social isolation.

Ultimately, the child bride is at an increased risk of birthing a still born or premature baby and dying during child birth. Thus, child marriage could lead to an increased rate of maternal and infant mortality.

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF CHILD MARRIAGE ON THE CHILD BRIDE

Child marriage affects the child bride both physically and psychologically. Child marriage exposes the girl child to psychological trauma as she is not allowed to enjoy her childhood, rather, while her mates go to school in the morning and play at the playground at noon, she is forced to sit at home, saddled with the task of child bearing and rearing. Psychological challenges that may arise due to child marriage include:

● Depression: The child bride may be forced to face societal stigmatization associated with obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula usually causes faecal and urinary incontinence, and incontinence may be accompanied by a stench. This may result in societal isolation and divorce, as her husband may not be willing to endure the stench. Being a divorcee in some Nigerian communities is considered shameful, therefore, the child bride may be further stigmatized for being sent out of her matrimonial home. In such situations, the mental health of the girl child is most definitely compromised and she may become depressed. Depression, if not diagnosed early and promptly managed may result in suicide.

● Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): PTSD is a psychological condition that may be caused/ triggered by experiencing traumatic events. PTSD related to child marriage may occur due to physical and verbal abuse in such marriages. The child bride may exhibit abnormal levels of anxiety, sleeplessness, lack of concentration and persistent, obtrusive thoughts and nightmares about the trauma experienced. Like depression, if PTSD is not diagnosed and treated early, it may lead to suicide.

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM

● Create awareness: The importance of creating awareness about child marriage and its negative consequences cannot be overemphasized. Campaigns and programmes should be organized in areas where child marriage is practised to enlighten the people about its ills and promote gender equality.

● Poverty alleviation: Poverty alleviation schemes should be introduced to stamp out poverty. Education, skills acquisition programmes and women empowerment schemes may serve as means of alleviating poverty in Nigeria. When poverty is eradicated, poor families wouldn’t see child marriage as a means of ending poverty.

● Free education programme: Formal education is considered expensive within some rural communities in Nigeria. Marrying the girl child off is preferred to spending the family’s meagre income on educating her. Therefore, when education is subsidized or made free in these areas, the problem of child marriage may be solved to an extent.

● Provision of structures for the implementation of policies and laws that protect the child: The Child’s Rights Act of 2003 should be domesticated and implemented by all the 36 states in Nigeria. Also, all the international instruments which have been ratified by the Nigerian government in its bid to protect the rights of the child must be implemented by the appropriate authorities. The Nigerian government must show its commitment to the fight against child marriage by ensuring that every right of the Nigerian child as enshrined in the 1999 constitution is not violated.

In conclusion, child marriage is a form of violation of the rights of the girl child. I believe that it is a subtle form of violence against the Nigerian girl child as it abruptly cuts short her childhood even before she understands what it takes to be an adult. It further cages her, thus preventing her from acquiring an education in order to make informed choices, earn a living and relate intelligently with her counterparts all over the world. It terminates her dreams and aspirations and offers her a very bleak future. Governments, NGOs, public organizations, private organizations and individuals must be wholly committed to scrapping out this injustice against the girl child, not only in Nigeria, but also in other parts of the world where child marriage continues to bloom. 

                         FGM AND THE LAW IN NIGERIA

INTRODUCTION

Currently in Nigeria, 20 million women and girls have been mutilated and yet there has not been a single conviction? This is indeed saddening to see. In this article, we will therefore be looking at some of the reasons for this. We will also look at a general overview of FGM in Nigeria with regards to the statistics, major causes etc

THE FGM STATISTIC IN NIGERIA

Globally, 200 million women and girls have been mutilated. In Nigeria alone, 20 million women and girls have been mutilated and this figure represents 10% of the global total. What this figure means in essence is that 1 out of every 10 mutilated girl or woman in the world is a Nigerian.

In Nigeria, the zones with the highest FGM prevalence rate are the South West and the South East.

SOME CAUSES OF FGM IN NIGERIA

There are so many reasons why FGM is practiced in Nigeria. It ranges from cultural reasons to its being used to curb illicit sexual appetites of women and girls in the country. But in this article, I will love to dwell on some of the reasons why it is practiced in Enugu State where I come from.

In Enugu State, FGM is normally practiced due to the patriarchal system which is obtainable in most communities in the State, which ensures male dominance over women. It is seen as a way in which the male folks subject and impose themselves on women.

Another reason is that FGM is also often considered a religious/cultural obligation e.g. rite of passage into adulthood, Female Genital Cutting as part of Naming ceremony etc. In most communities in Enugu State, FGM is usually carried out on the eight day after birth, to coincide with the child’s naming ceremony, which is a festive event with gifts and refreshments. The naming and cutting are linked. It has also been discovered that poor mothers cannot openly resist their girl children from being mutilated because it would also mean that there is no naming ceremony. All this has helped this practice to thrive in Enugu State.

LEGISLATIONS PROHIBITING FGM IN NIGERIA

Before the passing into law of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) Act in Nigeria. Most lawyers, NGOs and anti-FGM campaigners in Nigeria were relying on the Nigeria Constitution and on the Child Rights Act (CRA) to speak against FGM in Nigeria. But one sad thing about the two foregoing Laws is that it does not explicitly mention FGM as a criminal offence.

N.B It must also be noted at this juncture, that currently 13 States in Nigeria have their own State laws expressly prohibiting FGM. These States includes; Lagos, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Ogun, Delta, Ebonyi, Oyo, Imo, Edo, Cross-River and Rivers State.

Now let’s look at some of the provisions in the Constitution and in the CRA as it relates to FGM though not explicitly;

1.      The Constitution: The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN) which is the supreme Law of the land provides in Section 34 that “no person shall be subjected to any form of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. FGM falls under the foregoing categories and thus can be punishable under this section.

2.      The Child Rights Act: The Child Rights Act (CRA), which was passed in 2003 in Nigeria also has some provisions that outlaws this practice. Section 11(B) of this Act provides also that “no child shall be subjected to any form of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”. However it must be noted that this Act is only applicable in only 23 States plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

One particular thing you will note from the two foregoing provisions is that there is no mention of FGM. It was because of this fact that most lawyers, NGOs and anti-FGM campaigners in Nigeria rallied round and started to advocate for a Law which will specifically mention FGM as a criminal offence.

It was as a result of this push, that in 2015 under the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that the VAPP Act was passed into law. This particular Act specifically mentioned FGM as a criminal act. It also made FGM and other forms of Gender based violence like rape, spousal battery, forceful ejection from home, harmful widowhood practices etc punishable offences in Nigeria. Apart from this, the VAPP Act also made provisions for the maximum protection of victims and also for the effective remedies for victims.

Section 6 of the VAPP Act provides for a set of punishments for FGM. Some of these punishments include;

I.            Anybody who performs or engages another to perform FGM on any person is liable to a term of imprisonment not exceeding 4 years or to a fine not exceeding N200,000 or to both.

II.            Anybody who attempts, aids, abets, or incites another to carry out FGM is liable to a term not exceeding 2 years imprisonment or to a fine not exceeding N100,000 or to both.

THE LIMITATIONS OF THE VAPP ACT

Three years after the passing into law of the VAPP Act, it is indeed disheartening to note that there has not been a single FGM conviction in Nigeria. The question that keeps agitating our mind is why is this so? In answering this question, we will like to categorize our answer into two major reasons.

1.      The applicability of the VAPP Act: Currently, the VAPP Act is only applicable in Abuja, Anambra, Oyo and Ebonyi State. What this literally means is that it is only applicable in 3 States out of the 36 States in Nigeria. Under our system, a Federal Law cannot apply in a particular State unless and until it is domesticated in that particular State.

This lack of domestication of the VAPP Act by several States in Nigeria then brings us to a recent issue which happened in Kwara State, Nigeria.  This issue made global headlines. Just last year in Kwara State, a facebook user from Kwara State called Alhaji Adebayo publicly advertised for a free cutting of girls in Kwara State. This case we heard was duly reported to the police, but up till now he has not been arrested. One major reason, why we think that he has not yet been arrested and duly prosecuted is because of the fact that Kwara State presently has not taken steps to domesticate this Act.

2.      Little or no awareness of this Act in Nigeria: Another major reason limiting the effectiveness of this VAPP Act is the fact that many Nigerians do not know about this Act. Currently in Nigeria, it is estimated that 1 out of every 100 Nigerians know about the existence of this Law in Nigeria. It is also estimated that only 10 out of every 200 Nigerians really know what this Act says or means.

To further buttress this point, we recently conducted a research in Nsukka Local Government Area (LGA) of Enugu State which is one of the 17 Local Government Areas in Enugu State, Nigeria.

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of awareness among Enugu citizens about the VAPP Act 2015. In this particular study, we adopted a descriptive research design. Specifically 3 research questions were posed to guide the study. A multi-staged sampling procedure using simple random sampling technique of balloting without replacement was used. We selected a sample of 210 women accessing various health services in the 35 public primary health facilities in Nsukka.

The instrument for data collection was our self-developed questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using figures and percentages to answer the research questions. Below are some of the questions we asked them and some of the answers we got from them;

Question 1: Have you ever heard of the VAPP Act?

Yes	%	No	%
10	4.76	200	95.2

After we explained the meaning of this Act to them we then asked them;

Question 2: Do you think that this Law should be domesticated in Enugu State?

Yes	%	No	%
190	90.47	20	9.52

From the foregoing, one can see that only 10 women out of the 210 women we gave out these questionnaires to, have heard about the VAPP Act. Also 190 women out of the 210 women, we gave out these questionnaires wanted this Act to be domesticated in Enugu. Those that were against its domestication said that FGM is part of their culture and also that it helps to curb promiscuity among women and as such they are against its domestication in Enugu.

 CONCLUSION

In conclusion, we would really love to state that the onus now falls on the various State Governments in Nigeria, Donor Agencies, NGOs and also on anti-FGM campaigners in various States in Nigeria to push for both the domestication of this Act in their various States and to also raise public awareness of the existence of this Act in their various States.

Also, current advocacies by NGOs and anti-FGM campaigners against FGM in Nigeria should now be centered more on pushing for the domestication of this Act and also in creating more awareness of the existence of the VAPP Act in their various States. We seriously believe, that if we are able to achieve the foregoing it will go a long way in ending FGM in Nigeria by 2030.

                  WHAT YOUTH ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT REALLY MEANS?

The word Youth Economic Empowerment (YEE) has always been used by various individuals, Governments, organizations etc. But the question has always been do they really know what it means? Also, there are so many projects being implemented all around the globe with regards the economic empowerment of youth. Though this is heart-warming to know but the challenge lies in it not being appropriately implemented. In this article, I will therefore be discussing what YEE really means and the best ways to implement projects pertaining to it in the World using Nigeria as a case study. 

Nigeria is a country blessed with so many human and natural resources but yet we are still wallowing in poverty. A new report by the World poverty clock shows that Nigeria has overtaken India as the country with the most extreme poor people in the World. Also according to Bloomberg, 46.5% of an estimated 195.6 million Nigerians of which more than 50% are youth are currently living on less than 1.25 dollars a day. These staggering statistics indeed portends great danger for everyone in Nigeria because the rate of crime usually increases, when there are high levels of unemployment and poverty in a country. This is because when people are unemployed and poor they usually start involving themselves in various societal vices just to make ends meet. A popular adage says “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Currently in Nigeria, the rate of militancy, kidnappings, robbery, banditry etc has increased especially amongst youth simply because there are no jobs.

Although, there have been several programs in Nigeria initiated by the Government, Organizations, and Individuals to tackle this problem many of these programs have not yet yielded any positive change in the lives of various youth in the country. This is because of so many reasons, which include amongst others ignorance, lack of sincerity and the political will on the part of Individuals, Organizations and the Government who initiate such projects. Some of these programs include NPOWER, The Youth Empowerment and Development Initiative, Young Entrepreneurs of Nigeria and the Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment Program (SURE-P) etc. While some of these foregoing programs are still ongoing, many of them have since ended due to several reasons ranging from corruption to change in Government policies and lack of continued support and funding. But the question is this? Are these programs really working? The answer to this question is simply no. This is because most of these programs, have not followed all the stages needed for a YEE program to be complete and effective.

YEE is defined as the attitudinal process through which young people gain the ability to make and implement decisions not just for themselves but for others around them. In the foregoing definition three key words are important and should be noted “Process”, “Ability” and “Decision”. Process is defined as the stage where a youth is being taken through a system of learning i.e. through an educational system or vocational training. Ability is defined as the stage where a youth is now educated or skilled in one business/trade or the other. Finally, decision is defined as the stage where a youth is said to be financially independent and can now meet not just his/her immediate needs, but that of others around him. Any YEE that does not go through these foregoing stages cannot be said to be complete and effective. The formula is simply Process + Ability=Decision.

Now, I will like to explain how the foregoing stages really work. In this regard, I will like to use tailoring as an example. Now, the first thing you should do is to map out your beneficiaries i.e. one should look out for those young people, who don’t just come from poor homes, but that are also really passionate and committed about learning how to sew. Once you get your beneficiaries, you then engage them in intensive tailoring classes which could last between 6 months to 1 year. After this is done, then the next stage is you getting spaces and tailoring equipments for them, so that they will put what they have learnt into use. Finally, you then move into the final stage, where you work to increase the business credibility, visibility and profitability. It is at this stage that you help to get the business registered, increase the business online presence, and organize trainings on business management etc. It is only when all this are done that one can boldly say that a YEE process has taken place.

Finally, I currently work with Society for the Improvement of Rural People (SIRP) an NGO based here in Nigeria and also with CubosWorld an e-commerce platform which is committed to increasing the credibility, visibility and profitability of various small businesses here in Nigeria. As a general rule, we imbibe the foregoing illustration/model in all our YEE programs here in Nigeria and so far it has been effective.