LAW ‘Juicy jobs responsible for dearth of female litigators’
Mrs Ngozi Ikenga is the Chairperson of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Abuja chapter. In this interview she speaks on some factors militating against women’s rights, why there are less female lawyers in litigation, among others. Exce
What do you think is responsible for the relative low population of female lawyers in litigation?
Maybe because women get more juicy jobs. It is a known fact that most organisations prefer having women in sensitive places like the legal unit and finance department because they know women are better managers. So, most times before female lawyers even graduate, jobs are already waiting for them. But, these days the number of women in the bar and on the bench is increasing.
The Federal Government, last year, called on FIDA to take up cases of sexual abuse against girls and women at Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) in the North East.What has been done in this regard?
At the regional level, a committee was set up to look into the matter. So far the committee’s greatest challenge is the culture of silence. Even FIDA, Abuja branch, tried reaching out but most women are reluctant to talk. I believe it has to do with this fear of “if you leave what happens to us? If we tell you our ordeal and you leave, will you come back and meet us alive?” So this issue of silence has been a militating factor and you know as the law works you must have your facts before any further steps can be taken. It is because of this challenge and others that the committee has not been able to come up with a final report on that. But some of these victims have come out, although asking their identities to be concealed; so the committee is working on that.
You recently made calls for the domestication of the Child’s Right Act in all the states to help curtail violence against women; what is the update on this?
Some states have already complied. As a result of the referrals we make to states, a lot is being done in this regard. It is the same with the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP). We are lobbying our sister associations to make sure that these acts are domesticated in their states. The purpose of this is that when we are all working under the same law, it is a way to achieving our goals. We are not where we used to be.
Apart from these acts, what are the legal frameworks that FIDA Abuja has put in place to help protect women and children from all forms of discrimination, violence and abuse?
What we do mainly is that we take the existing frameworks down to the grassroots in the form of advocacy and sensitisation. We do this by trying to interprete the laws to them as regards their rights. The people we actually deal with are not the educated ones, although we take cases of some educated ones too. The main objective is reaching out to indigent women: they may not necessarily be indigent financially as some have the finance but don’t know what to do.
The VAPP Act has a lot as far protecting women against violence is concerned but the unfortunate thing is that it is only applicable in the FCT for now. What we have been able to do is to simplify this act and we have taken it to schools after securing the permission of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). We did this so as to sensitise our wards because we believe that when we inculcate this knowledge in them while they are still young, it becomes part of them as they grow up and it will be better for the society, even if not the present one. We have also simplified the Child’s Rights Act, teaching them their rights and responsibilities.
Has the judiciary been supportive of this VAPP Act?
Very well; the FCT judiciary commission has been supportive. They have been using this act and we have gotten some convictions through the act. The act has been very useful in the FCT.
What other issues and
sensitisation.
Sometimes we start a case for a woman because we don’t have to wait for the woman to come to us in as much as we know that a crime has been or is about to be perpetrated: we take it up once it comes to our knowledge. When the case is going on, along the line, maybe because of pressure from the husband or relatives, the woman will start backing out.
There have been reports of increase in rape cases in the past years… (Cuts in)
It is not even only rape. Crime is on the increase. I asked someone recently if it was the economic realities that were a cause of this. But our succour is the provisions of the VAPP Act because it has much more than what is contained in the Criminal and Penal Codes. The VAPP Act has actually expanded on the issue of violence in general. In the act, the definition of rape has been expanded to the non-consensual penetration of any part of the body. Even a kiss that is not consensual is classified as rape in the act. And the punishment has been increased: it is now between 12 years and life imprisonment.
Another good provision is that the victims are now provided for in terms of compensation. FIDA believes more in prevention than cure, thus we exert energy into sensitisation to make girls and women know what to do and not do, where to go and not go. We believe when this knowledge is inculcated, the problem is half solved by preventing most of the cases from occurring.