In the second week of December 2022, the Réseau des Femmes Leaders pour le Développement (RFLD) organized a meeting in Niamey, Niger, to advocate Niger’s ratification of the Maputo Protocol on women’s rights.
The meeting provided an opportunity to build women’s capacity in the components of integrated sexuality education and their practice in Niger, and to call on the the Nigerien authorities to ratify the Maputo Protocol.
Socio-cultural barriers and the fact that the sexual health of young people is considered a highly taboo subject in Niger make it difficult to discuss and debate sexuality, and therefore create obstacles to its eradication, even though there are laws condemning this state of affairs. That said, the existence of laws and treaties in favor of girls and women does not mean that they are enforced. But even if there are shortcomings, the legislative and political landscape is full of important elements on which to build in order to influence the consideration of young people’s sexual and reproductive health. However, the level of knowledge of laws and the legislative framework by the bodies required to enforce them, or even by the populations expected to respect them, remains very low.
With the aim of correcting this state of affairs, Niger has made several national and international commitments to improve the reproductive health of Niger’s adolescents and young people. In line with these commitments, the Government of Niger has not yet carried out a feasibility study on exempting adolescents and young people from the direct costs of modern contraceptive methods. It is therefore essential to provide adolescents and young people with the information they need for their personal development. A series of steps and actions need to be taken to develop and introduce reproductive health modules into training curricula. In order to achieve these results, it is essential to work towards a socio-cultural environment that supports integrated sexuality education, so as to overcome socio-cultural barriers.
But what is integrated sexuality education? How can women working in reproductive health and family planning, as part of the “adolescents and young people” target group, help to improve Niger’s socio-cultural environment? How can they work to overcome the barriers identified at previous meetings? What strategies can be adopted to ensure a synergy of conclusive actions? The Republic of Niger has a weak legal arsenal, as well as weak regulatory measures to promote gender at all levels of life. Niger has not yet ratified the Maputo Protocol, but through the advocacy that will be carried out, the authorities will be called upon to ratify it so that women can fully play their role in Niger society.
Despite the fact that articles 14 and 21 on the right to health and control of reproductive functions, and the right of inheritance, respectively, are the factors delaying ratification of the Protocol, the protection and promotion of women’s rights are permanent concerns in Niger. At a time when several African countries are engaged in an unprecedented struggle against impunity and for the establishment of the rule of law, the rapid adoption and entry into force of the Protocol and its operationalization are a matter of urgency for Niger. The RFLD calls on Niger’s authorities to ratify the Maputo Protocol. For the RFLD, the adoption of this protocol by Niger will constitute a tremendous step forward from a legal point of view for the respect of women’s rights.
