Inequalities and adverse social positioning on the basis of gender mark all societies. In multi-cultural societies competing for claims of gender, cultural identity and individual rights seek accommodation in existing social relations with States increasingly committed to human rights. In such contexts how can global standards be made responsive and integrated with local cultural processes?
The AAAJD sites of Africa and South Asia in particular, have among the worst indicators in regard to VAWG with the largest number of customary practices that are violent towards women. Can global rights indicators on gender-based violence be combined with local specifies to allow for global benchmarking, yet address the peculiarities of socio-cultural conditions? For inclusive policy formulations, tools and mechanisms that are culturally responsive – gender budgets,
mainstreaming activities and indicators have to be evolved to measure and advance the rights of vulnerable groups. If states are to be held accountable for the protection, prevention, and reduction in gender violence, justice-delivery mechanisms have to be diversity-sensitive. The partnership will contextualize these and other considerations within the Afro-Asia cultural, economic and governance spectrum. Conflict and post-conflict sites are another spheres in which gender rights will be analyzed to improve justice outcomes.
CLEEN Foundation has made steady progress at promoting the advancement of gender justice and improvement in the response and handling of cases of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria. In the area of gender rights, CLEEN continues to advocate for mainstreaming of gender issues and perspectives in the policy formulation and operations of security institutions and the pursuit of their overall institutional reform through legislation to enhance their functioning as effective security instruments in a democratic society in policing. The advocacy is premised on the fact that a central pillar for driving viable security/policing reforms is in need or needed to ensure that the security needs of diverse groups within its community are properly understood and incorporated into the structure and operations of the police and other security institutions.
CLEEN Foundation’s prominent study on gender relations and discrimination in the Nigeria Police in 2001 spotlighted the critical issues leading to institutional reforms geared towards improving women representation and gender relations in the Nigeria Police Force.
To ensure sustained improvement in the response and handling of Gender-based violence the police and other security institutions, CLEEN continues to partner with security agencies and service providers to increase citizen sensitization and reporting as well as build capacity of security agencies to investigate and handle issues of violence against vulnerable groups particularly women and children.
CLEEN Foundation became a member of the newly established Federal Capital Territory Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team in recognition of our advocacy and campaign efforts on gender justice in Nigeria.
Policy Brief:
Reference
Cleen Foundation – https://cleen.org/projects/