'WOMEN, CHILDREN TARGET OF RIGHTS VIOLATION'
By Oladunjoye Aramide, Enugu

December 15, 2003 – (This Day - Lagos) Women and children have been identified as those prominently vulnerable to human rights violation occassioned by their being disadvantaged in terms of rights protection.

Making the declaration last week, the Enugu State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Chief Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, in address at this year's Human Rights Day, said that poverty and violence constituted the most surreptitious form of violations of women's rights in Nigeria, saying: "Poverty is on the increase and has indeed assumed a woman's face leading to a phenomenon termed feminisation of poverty."

She said that standard setting in relation to promotion of human rights was no longer the problem, but how to translate the more than half a dozens international human rights instruments into actions.

According to her, "This, therefore, calls for a re-focus on implementation, rights awareness and information on how to seek for redress in cases of violation of one's international and nationally (constitution) recognised human rights."

The commissioner opined that challenges for respecting and enforcing human rights are greater in developing countries such as Nigeria, stating that, "Poverty, conflicts, terrorism, violence, prejudice and bad governance grossly violate human rights."

She disclosed that the state government would soon place emphasis that would foster parenting with primary focus on the best interests of the child, adding: "We shall be engaging in social and legislative advocacy to ensure that laws and practices are protective of women and children's rights including that of the disables."

From: http://allafrica.com/stories/200312150769.html