Advancing women & girls’ rights: Implementing policies that promote social change – Nigeria
This policy brief builds on evidence from the review of key legal, policy and programmatic efforts for ending early child and forced marriages, Female Genital Mutilation/Excision (FGM/E) and promoting access to abortion services. These are persistent common practices that violate women and girls’ human rights. To redress the three vices concerted policy advocacy and community level social behaviour change communication efforts are critical in the promotion of comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR). The impact of COVID-19 is explored to determine any impact on promoting or preventing the harmful practices, un/under reporting and subsequently propelling the continuation of child marriages, female genital mutilation prevention and limited access to safe abortion services in Nigeria. This policy brief will contribute to achieving major advocacy priorities in the Strategic Plan for the African Women’s Development and Communication Network (FEMNET) Strategic Plan (2020-2029), and the priorities of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
