Hard Times for Who? Passing Violence Against Women Legislation in Nigeria
Year: 2010
Type: preprint
Abstract: Why does violence against women (VAW) policy adoption vary among Nigeria’s 36 states and between its federal and state governments? I argue that the women’s movement, international connections, and support of political elites are key to explaining policy variation. Various VAW bills. forty-three in total, have passed among Nigeria’s states; several bills have been proposed and two passed at the federal level. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, this case study of the largest populated nation in Africa examines the dynamics of adopting VAW laws at both the state and federal levels; studying both levels can help explain barriers and opportunities to passing laws, offering practical strategies to the Nigerian women’s movement. Variation among states can show which factors prove more favorable to policy adoption. Focusing on VAW highlights nuances that a general study on women’s rights may not illuminate. Nigeria is an important case study to analyze the growth of women’s rights where military governments recently transitioned to democracy, and this study can elucidate policy variation in tripartite legal systems (customary, religious, and civil law systems).
Source: SSRN Electronic Journal
Author: Cheryl O’Brien
Institution: San Diego State University
Language: English
Subfield: Gender Studies
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2156246956