Posted on: Fri 24-05-2013

. Want Senate to include rights of women

THE Nigerian Medical Students Association (NIMSA) has faulted the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill by the House of Representatives without the inclusion of women rights.

The piece of legislation, which passed second reading in the House last March, seeks to eliminate violence and punish perpetrators of gender-based violence in Nigeria.

But medical students, who staged a rally around the Three Arms Zone in Abuja, called on the Senate to consider reintroducing the critical section of the bill that was expunged by the House.

The contentious Section 37 (1)(iii) of the Bill, which was deleted in the version passed by the lower chamber notes:  “Every woman shall have a right to health, which shall be understood to mean the enjoyment of the highest level of physical, mental and social well-being, health care services, including those related to family planning in particular rural women shall have the right to have access to adequate health care facilities, including information, counselling and services in family planning.

“Every woman shall have the right to take decisions about her health needs and requirements. In particular, she shall have the right to determine the processes concerning reproduction in her body. Every woman shall have the right to enjoy reproductive rights including the right to medical abortion in cases of sexual assault, rape, incest and where the continued pregnancy endangers the life or the physical, mental, psychological or emotional health of the mother”.

Youth Consultant and former National President of the Association, Dr. Eze Patrick, stressed the need for the youths to stand up and play a crucial role in the next stage of the Bill, given all the circumstances that are prevailing in the country.

He said: “As youths, we also have to critically look at the bill and we want to start making important contributions, because if we do not do this, the future of the country may not be to our benefit in the future and since we are the future leaders, we have to start from this point. We are hoping that the Senate would be able to look at this bill and be able to look at the problems that Nigerians are facing.

“Domestic violence is a very important issue. If we, as a country, have laws that protect the citizens from violence, we will be sure that there will be a more peaceful environment for even investors to come in. The last part and the most important part really is on the issue of rape, incest and all that. The bill should be able to cater for the needs of women in the country.”

He went on: “We heard that that part of the bill was kicked out at the House of Reps. We are hoping that the bill would be brought back and looked at critically, especially in consideration of the Nigerian woman and make sure that she is at the focal point of this bill. This was why this bill was started in the first place. In 2009, when I was the national president of this association, there was a corps member that was raped and murdered in Maiduguri and we organised similar rally like this. It is a pity that we are still discussing this bill in 2013.

“It is my hope that the Senate would take this matter seriously and include the important parts so that we can have a safer Nigeria for the future.”

President of the Abuja chapter of the association, Uchenna Anyanwu, stressed the need for the Senate to reconsider aspects of the Bill, which were thrown out during its passage.

He said: “We are here on advocacy visit to the Senate to enable them quickly pass the Violence Against Persons prohibition Bill. We are not happy that the House of Reps kicked out the section on women and reproductive health. It is very good to punish the offender, but what about the victim? They should be given free medical health care and allowed to make their reproductive choices in cases of rape or incest. We are saying that the victim should be given the opportunity to make her choice in the case of rape or incest. That is why we are here.”

One of the medical students, Ebum Chinwendu, called on the Senate to review the Bill and include the expunged areas.

She said: “We are here to support the Violence Against Persons Bill and to ensure that the Senate takes its time to look into it and pass it, especially the part on women and reproductive health, that they should bring it back into the bill and make sure that the perpetrators are brought to book, and that the woman is allowed to make her choice in whatever concerns her, because it is her body. It is her life. She should choose what should happen to her. Government owes it to that women to bring to justice whoever does anything to that body.”

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