ABUJA – International Federation of Women Lawyer (FIDA) Nigeria on Wednesday said it has undertaken a formative research aimed at advancing and strengthening the rights of women and children through the administration of the Criminal Justice Act/Laws.
The Country Vice President/National President of FIDA Nigeria, Mrs. Amina Suzanah Agbaje who stated this at a public presentation of a formative research on promising practices supported by MacArthur Foundation towards the implementation of the second phase project titled: “Strengthening collaboration among Criminal Justice actors and deepen the Criminal Justice architecture to ensure the effective imlementation of the ACJA/ACJLS.
According to the Mrs Agbaje, the event is part of FIDA’s strtegy in improving access to justice for women and children. FIDA Nigeria with support from MacArthur Foundation undertook informative research to ascertain how the rights of women and children are protected under the administration of Criminal Justice Act and laws in six states of Rivers, Bayelsa, Kano, Anambra, FCT
Mrs Agbaje said they are presenting their findings from the research which will serve as a tool for legal practitioners, policy makers, Civil Society organisation and the general public in advancing the rights of women and children in Nigeria.
The FIDA President said that not many people know that there are other laws apart from the VAB Act and VAB Law as it were in some states can be used to protecting the rights of the children and women in Nigeria. So the essence of this launch is to open the eyes of stakeholders so that they will be aware that there is another law that can be used for the protection of women and childten. So this launch is also an avenue to popularise the findings so that legal practitioners, policy makers, Civil Society Organisations and general public can access this research and use it for the administration of criminal justice in Nigeria particularly in addressing the rights of women and children, she said.
She reitetated that the research covers six states and their findings in summary is that in the six states, there is some progress that have been made and some milestone have been achieved. So this research is to track the challenges so that innovative ways can be used in the administration of criminal justice accessing criminal justice particularly women and children.
While reacting to how FIDA would crrate awareness of the findings, the Country President said it is through advocacy and sensitisation on radio using local languages so that our communities will understand these laws and be aware that there is a law that you can access for the right of women and children. Adding that the traditional rulers, as one of FIDA’s gate-keepers who they first access before accessing the community. Mrs. Agbaje emphasized that FIDA will begin to move into the communities to let them kbow that it is not only VERB and Child Rights Acts, that there is a law that is called the “administration of criminal justice Act that the community can use to advance the justice for women and children.