Sunday Adaji Esq
On behalf of Lawyers Alert, we join other NGOs, CSOs and the entire womenfolk to say Happy Mother’s Day. March 31 of every year is commemorated as the Mother’s Day.
As an NGO that protects the rights and welfare of vulnerable groups, including women, we consider the Mother’s Day as very important as it reminds us of the need to redouble our efforts in promoting the rights of women and girls and ensuring that that they enjoy equal rights under Nigerian constitution, under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and under the United Nation’s Declaration of Human Rights.
Since 2000 when Lawyers Alert was founded, Lawyers Alert has been in the forefront of promoting women’s rights in Nigeria. We have carried out many projects which impacted positively on the lives of thousands of women and children. Presently, we are implementing projects aimed at eliminating all forms of violence against women and girls, eliminating sexual and reproductive health and rights violation and providing free legal services to victims.
From experience and based on Lawyers Alert’s statistics, one out of every three women and girls are constantly abused. This statistics shows that women and girls are among the most vulnerable groups in Nigeria. Our customs, tradition and religions are not helping matters as they encourage practices that relegate women to the background.
Lawyers Alert and indeed other NGOs and CSOs have been doing a lot to ensure that women’s rights are respected, but as it is, we still have a long way to go. We still have a lot of violations to contend with – denial of right to family planning, gender based violence, female genital mutilation, physical, verbal and emotional assault, denial of right to inheritance, harmful widowhood practices, forced economic and financial dependence, denial of sexual and reproductive health rights, rape, sexual assault and so on and so forth.
Notwithstanding, Lawyers Alert’s vision remains clear: A DEVELOPED NIGERIA WHERE THE RIGHTS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN ARE RESPECTED. Similarly, her mission has not changed: TO PROMOTE THE RIGHTS OF VULNERABLE GROUPS, ESPECIALLY WOMEN THROUGH ADVOCACY AND THROUGH PROVISION OF FREE LEGAL SERVICES. We are not relenting. We will keep doing the best we can to ensure we carry out our mission and achieve our vision. Denial of an individual’s rights is denial of the rights of all. We will always have mothers, wives, aunt, sisters and daughters with us. They are all entitled to their rights. We should individually and collectively stop violating their rights. And we should do the best we can to protect and defend their rights. This is the mark of an egalitarian society. This is our yearning for Nigeria. And together we can achieve this and celebrate motherhood everywhere women are found.