A legal perspective on reproductive health and gender-specific human rights in Nigeria

This paper looks at international provisions on reproductive rights and the obligations and duties to protect reproductive health of women in Nigeria. The concept of human rights is very fundamental to society and is based on international instruments signed and ratified by sovereign States after the Second World War. In general, these treaties have established universal standards by recognising fundamental rights and requiring governments to take action to ensure that basic rights are respected. Since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, efforts have been made by national governments to advocate for human rights, improve the status of women and promote gender equality in every way possible. The centrality of gender-specific human rights in advancing the status of women is now recognised as a sine qua non in attaining the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. The impact of gender issues on human rights has further led to newer schemes and recommendations on reproductive health as well as advocacies against cultural practices that are harmful to reproductive health.