A University of Ilorin don, Prof. Mahmud Kayode Adebayo, has recommended inclusion of women’s rights in the constitution, to promote reproductive health rights in our society.
Prof. Adebayo made the call Thursday during the 265th inaugural lecture tagged “On The Reproductive Autonomy of My Right or Not My Choice”.
FELLOW PRESS reports that Prof. Adebayo, who graduated with LL.B from University of Maiduguri, LL.M (University of Jos), Ph.D (University of Jos) and BL. (Lagos), is a professor of Private and Property Law.
The don stressed that “I recommend the amendment of Chapter IV of the Constitution on Fundamental Human Rights to be made justiceable, or in the alternative, a new and separate chapter be created for these women’s rights in the proposed amendment to the constitution and tagged ‘Socio Cultural Rights’ and be made enforceable in our courts of law.”
He further urged governmental and non-governmental organisations to partner and play “greater role in the critical areas of concern for women reproductive health rights”, while pointing out need to specifically address most needed reforms in the health sector.
“Hence, I am recommending that there should be mandatory provision of government legislation on mental health services to protect women against disabilities arising from effect of female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices. In addition, women must have free and low-cost access to legal services.”
The UNILORIN don further noted that “in order to promote, protect and enforce women’s reproductive health rights, all international legislations and policies on women’s reproductive health should be articulated and harmonized into single instrument and documented.
Citing an instance, Prof. Adebayo said “all protocols, declarations, policies and chapters on women’s reproductive health rights; including rights to equality of life, liberty, security of persons, family planning, consent to marry, privacy, protection from discrimination, sexual violence, harmful traditional practices, cruel and inhuman degrading treatment, should be domesticated and implemented in line with Section 12 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).”
