WOMEN'S RIGHTS NEWS AROUND THE GLOBE
In a boost for women’s campaign against gender bias in
India, a public interest litigation challenging prohibition of women in temples
like Shani Shingnapur in Maharashtra has led to directions from the Bombay High
Court on 1st April that women can no longer be barred from entering
temples in Maharashtra as it is their fundamental right and it was the
fundamental duty of government to protect women’s right. It equally asked the
Maharashtra government to take pro-active steps to ensure that this right was
not encroached upon by any authority.
This landmark decision is a break from centuries old
tradition that restricted or discriminated against women in worship. This
judgment however has not totally resolved the issue as there are still places of worship where women’s entry is
banned. The advocates still intend to prevail on the Prime Minister Narendra
Modi to enact a law to put an end to such restrictions on worshipping. See http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-shani-temple-row-activist-trupti-desai-wants-to-end-gender-bias-in-other-temples-wishes-to-meet-pm-narendra-modi-2197012
Meanwhile in Nigeria, On March 15 2016, the Nigerian Senate blocked a bill
seeking equal marital rights for women. The Bill was titled “Gender Parity and
Prohibition of Violence against Women” and was presented by Abiodun Olujimi,
representing Ekiti South. The bill made provisions for equal rights of women in
marriage, education and employment.
The deputy senate president, Ike Ekweremadu, put his weight
behind the bill stating that those countries that are doing well are those who
give women opportunities
The Senate Majority leader, Ali Ndume, criticized the bill
while extolling the virtues of religious or traditional marriage as practiced
in Nigeria. The bill was also condemned by Sani Yerima who stated that it
negates the principles of the Sharia Law recognized by the Nigerian
Constitution and thus was in conflict with the Nigerian Constitution. The bill
was defeated when the senate president put it to the vote.
This development seems to ignore the obligations undertaken by Nigeria in ratifying the
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against women,
especially in articles 2 and 16 of the Convention. Since Nigeria did not enter
any reservations to the Convention it behoves her to fulfill her obligations in
respect of discrimination of women in marital life, which is further elaborated
on in general recommendation 29 on Economic Consequences of Marriage, family
relations and their dissolution.
