MAPUTO PROTOCOL: Prioritise wellbeing of women and girls, Ipas tasks African govts

L-R: Tobi Amusan, Favour Ofili,  Rosemary Chukwuma and Grace Nwokocha, winning quartet of the 4x100 women’s relay at the just concluded Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham.

By Sola Charles

The Nigerian government and governments of other African countries have been charged to prioritize the lives and well-being of women and girls by domesticating the Maputo protocol.

The Maputo protocol (Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Women in Africa), is one of the world's most comprehensive and progressive women's human rights instruments.

It was adopted by Heads of State and Government in Maputo, Mozambique, in  2003,  to guarantee extensive rights to African women and girls, with progressive provisions on harmful traditional practices, reproductive health & rights, roles in political processes, economic empowerment, and ending violence against women.

Making the call in commemoration of the 2022 African Women's Day in honour of all women and girls in the continent, Lucky Palmer, the  Country  Director, Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation, said domesticating the Maputo protocol will ensure that all barriers inhibiting women and girls in Nigeria from exercising their rights to bodily autonomy are removed.

Palmer, who spoke amid the euphoria that emerged on the heels of the outstanding performances of Nigerian women in the World Athletic Championships and the recently concluded Commonwealth Games, noted: “Nigeria is a signatory to the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (Maputo Protocol), a framework which is indigenous to the African People and specifically provides for the bodily autonomy of women and girls across Africa. Women with well-spaced children can support family livelihood, which enhances household food security.

Ese Brume, Women's Long Jump gold medallist

“Nigeria is confronted with high incidences of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), which sometimes results in unwanted pregnancies, leading to unsafe abortions, thereby contributing to the already high maternal mortality rate in the country. “Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation is committed to ending unsafe abortions, SGBV, and providing unhindered access to contraceptives, putting us at the forefront as advocates for reproductive justice. Through our work at the National and State levels, we advocate for policies and law reforms that promote women's rights and challenge harmful social norms in the communities that act as barriers to women and girls' access to comprehensive sexual reproductive health services.

Further, Palmer stated: “This year's theme 'Towards the African Women's Decade: Realizing Women's Human Capital through accelerated social and economic development, addressing the scourge of violence, food insecurity and good nutrition on the African continent' resonates with Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation's goal of ensuring that every woman and girl on the African Continent, has the right to their bodily autonomy free from all forms of violence and discrimination.

“We call on the Government in Nigeria and across Africa to prioritize the lives and well-being of women and girls. We believe that domesticating the Maputo protocol will ensure that all barriers inhibiting women and girls in Nigeria from exercising their rights to bodily autonomy are removed.

Adijat Olarinoye, Women's Weightlifting gold medallist  

“We also use this medium to congratulate the Pan-African Women's Organisation (PAWO), a specialized agency of the African Union, on her 60th anniversary. We appreciate their important role in mobilizing African women on the continent and the Diaspora to rally around collective struggles for a free and prosperous Africa.”

Act with courage to end AIDS epidemic, UNAIDS charges world leaders

 

UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima 

By Precious Dipe

As the AIDS 2022 conference closed in Montreal Canada, world leaders have been charged to act with courage to end the AIDS epidemic.

Making the call, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said the event marked a turning point in the global AIDS response.

Byanyimaremarked that the commitments made by African leaders and by international partners who came together in the new global alliance to end AIDS in children could, if followed through, ensure that every child living with HIV is on antiretroviral medicine and that no more children are Thursected with HIV. 

“We thank the ministers and other political leaders who took part in the Conference, appreciate PEPFAR and Global Fund for the commitment demonstrated here, and call upon the many leaders who did not attend to take seriously the findings of this conference.

“In particular, we call upon governments to urgently increase funding for the Global Fund and for the UN Joint Programme to enable the findings of this conference to turn into reality on the ground. As UNAIDS new report, In Danger, highlighted, courageous political leadership is essential to end AIDS and save millions of lives.”  She said the issues lifted up at AIDS2022 could enable a turning point in the global AIDS response, noting that the new UNAIDS report released at the conference, In Danger, shows how the AIDS response has been blown off course, making action urgent.

Byanyima said the research presented at the conference provides new data, important scientific progress, and further evidence on the biomedical, social, and policy interventions needed to stop the AIDS pandemic. 

She said the insights and data shared by community organizations showed concretely how we can stop AIDS from snatching a life every minute and ways to tackle the inequalities driving the AIDS pandemic.

“We are deeply saddened by how many researchers, officials, and people living with HIV from Africa, Asia, and Latin America were unable to come to the conference in Canada because they were unable to secure a visa.   

“ The host country of the next global AIDS conference, two years from now, must be one that guarantees that this will not be repeated and that those most affected by HIV can be fully at this important table.

“This was a breakthrough conference for new long-acting ARVs to stop HIV.  New research showed that injectable PrEP is among the most effective tools for preventing HIV available and that it works well in multiple populations.” 

She noted that the World Health Organisation released new guidelines and drugmaker ViiV has announced licenses for generic manufacturing of the drug in 90 countries. 

“This could be a game changer if ViiV can provide an affordable price for low- and middle-income countries now, in the tens of dollars not hundreds of dollars, since it will be several years before generic production comes online and if generics are made available beyond these original 90 countries.”