Nigeria: Situation of single women living alone in Abuja, including ability to access employment and housing; threat of violence; support services available to them (2015 - June 2016)
1. Situation of Single Women
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a Senior Program Officer specializing in reproductive health, SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] and gender at the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) in Nigeria, stated that some ethnic groups are more tolerant of single women than others, but that generally a woman's place is thought to be "beside her husband" in Nigeria (17 June 2016). The UN Human Rights Council indicates that the average marriage age in Nigeria is 18 years for women, and 27 years for men (UN 16 June 2016, para. 13).
According to the CISLAC Senior Program Officer, all categories of single women -never married, widowed and divorced- face "varying degrees of abuse from society" in Abuja (CISLAC 17 June 2016). Similarly, a member and past President of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) [1] in Nigeria, stated that women who live alone in Abuja face "stigma" (Member 20 June 2016).
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Executive Director of the Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC), an NGO with the mission "[t]o promote and protect human rights and women's rights, gender equity, and good governance through the empowerment of civil society and the promotion of access to justice and rule of law" (CIRDDOC n.d.), stated that not having a man in her life, whether due to divorce or being a widow, affects a woman's "ability to access resources and services" (ibid. 18 June 2016). However, the same source noted that, since Abuja is a "melting pot," issues such as ethnicity and religion do not have a big impact on a woman's ability to live on her own there (ibid.).
The member of FIDA explained that Abuja has a high level of institutional corruption and its economy is "largely driven by government patronage;" there is limited access to well-paid jobs and housing, as these are in the hands of only a few people (Member 20 June 2016). The same source further stated that for a single woman to access housing and employment in Abuja, she must go through "multiple barriers," such as being solicited for sexual favours by skilled and unskilled "'middle-men'" (ibid.). She also noted that working-class women who live alone may be preyed upon by middle-aged men who view them as "emotionally and sexually needy" (ibid.).
1.1 Housing
According to the CISLAC Senior Program Officer, single women in Abuja face "discrimination" when attempting to access housing because they are viewed as "loose women that are bound to attract hooligans to the neighborhood" (CISLAC 17 June 2016). The member of FIDA stated that "[w]omen of middle class earnings face serious bias from live-in landlords" in Abuja, who view them as "likely to over-populate their rented homes by bringing in female squatters or entertaining male visitors for perceived clandestine reasons" (Member 20 June 2016). The CISLAC program officer further indicated that some single women "fall prey to men who [offer] to help lodge them until they settle in but [the men] end up sexually abusing them" (CISLAC 17 June 2016). The Executive Director of CIRDDOC explained that unmarried women in Abuja are often not viewed as "respectable" and landlords are not always willing to sign leases with them, preferring instead to deal with men (CIRDDOC 18 June 2016). According to the same source, single women in Abuja, particularly those with a low education, are viewed as "'prostitutes'" (ibid.).
Reporting on the situation throughout Nigeria, the UN Human Rights Council states that "[o]verall, women have less control over assets like houses or land and thus are exposed to heightened economic vulnerability" (UN 16 June 2016, para. 14). The same source indicates that according to the National Population Commission’s Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2013, 18 percent of women in Nigeria own homes and 15 percent own land, either jointly or on their own, which is less than half the percentages of men owning homes and land (UN 16 June 2016, para. 13). According to Freedom House, women from some ethnic groups do not have rights to inherit property due to customary laws (Freedom House 2016). The Nigerian Country Director of ActionAid, an anti-poverty organization, was quoted in the Nigerian newspaper The Guardian as stating that women in Nigeria face higher rates of poverty than men, and lack access to capital and land (The Guardian 9 Mar. 2015).
1.2 Employment
The CISLAC Senior Program Officer stated the following information concerning the ability of single women to access employment in Abuja:
women in Abuja face a lot of challenges in terms of getting employment. Their vulnerability makes them easy prey to those who either want to extort them sexually or financially. You find someone promising to secure choice jobs for single ladies on the grounds that they sleep with them or give them so much money. There are many examples of such. (CISLAC 17 June 2016)
According to the member and past President of FIDA, regardless of marital status, level of education, ethnicity and social class, women in Abuja face "huge challenges in spheres that are seen to be 'originally' roles reserved for men" (Member 20 June 2016).
The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015 states that there is a "common" practice of "demanding sexual favours in exchange for employment" in Nigeria (US 13 Apr. 2015, 35). The same source reports that
[w]omen's rights groups reported that the Abuja Environmental Protection Board took women into custody under the pretext of removing commercial sex workers from the streets of the capital. According to activists, the board then forced women to buy their freedom or confess to prostitution and undergo rehabilitation (ibid.).
The CISLAC Senior Program Officer indicated that many women who relocate to Abuja have little financial support and have to do whatever they can to survive, which may include prostitution (CISLAC 17 June 2016).
According to Freedom House, "[w]omen experience discrimination in employment and are often relegated to inferior positions" (Freedom House 2016).
Country Reports 2015 similarly indicates that women are subject to "considerable economic discrimination" (US 13 Apr. 2015, 35). The same source notes that the law does not include provisions against gender-based discrimination in hiring processes and does not mandate equal pay for men and women (ibid.). According to the ActionAid Country Director, as quoted in the Guardian, women in Nigeria face problems with "unemployment, under employment, unremunerated work and lack of job safety and security" (The Guardian 9 Mar. 2015).
1.3 Situation of Widows
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Director of Widows for Peace Through Democracy (WPD), a UK-based international NGO that partners with NGOs in developing countries to "eliminate discrimination and violence" towards widows (WPD n.d.), stated that, regarding the ability of widows to access housing and employment in Abuja, it would depend, in part, on the ethnic group of the widow and her deceased husband, as well as social class, education, and whether they are from an urban or rural background (ibid. 20 June 2016). The same source stated that some widows may be "very vulnerable," and that, despite legislation enacted to protect rights to inheritance and land, many widows are subject to "harmful traditional practices," such as "widow inheritance, forced remarriage, levirate, deprivation of inheritance rights, property grabbing, [and] chasing off" (ibid.). She further explained that these factors may leave a widow "in extreme poverty and homelessness," causing them to resort to begging and forced prostitution for survival (ibid.). In addition, she noted that there are few pensions and "corruption makes access to support services problematic" (ibid.).
2. Threat of Violence
Sources state that women who live alone in Abuja are subject to sexual harassment and violence (CIRDDOC 18 June 2016; CISLAC 17 June 2016; Member 20 June 2016), including battery (ibid.). The CIRDDOC Executive Director explained that single women are vulnerable to violence and sexual harassment because they are seen as being "without [the] protection of a man" (CIRDDOC 18 June 2016).
According to the UN Human Rights Council, in Nigeria, nearly 30 percent of women have experienced physical violence at least once since the age of 15, and 7 percent have experienced sexual violence (UN 16 June 2016). Sources indicate that rape is "widespread" in Nigeria (US 13 Apr. 2016, 32; Freedom House 2016), with "low rates of reporting and prosecution" (ibid.). Country Reports 2015 indicates that sentences for people who are convicted of rape and sexual assault "were inconsistent and often minor" in 2015 (US 13 Apr. 2016, 32).
According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), the majority of internally-displaced people in Nigeria are women and children, and they "face a range of threats to their physical safety and restrictions on freedom of movement" (IDMC 9 Dec. 2014). The same source indicates that women and girls, particularly those in female- and child-headed households, face "a greater risk of GBV [gender-based violence] as a result of their displacement" in both host communities and camps (ibid.).
3. Support Services
The member and past President of FIDA stated that there are no shelters specifically for single women in Abuja, although there is one shelter for battered women operated by the Ministry of Women's Affairs (Member 20 June 2016). The CIRDDOC Executive Director was also not aware of any agencies or NGOs in Abuja that help single women to obtain housing (CIRDDOC 18 June 2016).
According to the member and past President of FIDA, the National Council for Women Societies announced an initiative in 2015 to arrange with banks to develop housing properties specifically to be owned by women, but, as of June 2016, the project had "not progressed much" (Member 20 June 2016). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
The CIRDDOC Executive Director and the CISLAC Senior Program Officer stated that single women relocating to Abuja may require a social network within Abuja in order to access housing (CIRDDOC 18 June 2016; CISLAC 17 June 2016) or employment (ibid.). The member and past President of FIDA similarly noted that social networking plays "a big role" in Abuja (20 June 2016).
For further information on the situation of women-headed households without male or family support, including in large northern and southern cities in Nigeria, and their ability to access housing and employment, see Response to Information Request NGA103907.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Note
[1] FIDA is an international NGO whose mission is to "promote the welfare of women and children and the principles and aims of the United Nations in their legal and social aspects" (FIDA n.d.). FIDA has consultative status with the UN (ibid.).
References
Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC). 18 June 2016. Correspondence from the Executive Director.
Civil Resource Development and Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC). N.d. "About Us." [Accessed 23 June 2016]
Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC). 17 June 2016. Correspondence from a Senior Program Officer.
Freedom House. 2016. "Nigeria." Freedom in the World 2016. [Accessed 22 June 2016]
The Guardian. 9 March 2015. Emeka Anuforo, Victoria Ojugbana and Tobi Awodipe. "Empowerment Critical to Poverty Eradication - ActionAid." (Factiva)
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC). 9 December 2014. Elizabeth J. Rushing and Joe Read. Nigeria: Multiple Displacement Crises Overshadowed by Boko Haram. [Accessed 22 June 2016]
International Federation of Women's Lawyers (FIDA). N.d. "Who We Are?" [Accessed 27 June 2016]
Member and past President, International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Nigeria. 20 June 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.
United Nations (UN). 16 June 2016. Human Rights Council. Report of the Special Rapporteurs on the Right of Everyone to the Enjoyment of the Highest Attainable Standard of Physical and Mental Health, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Including Its Causes and Consequences on their Joint Visit to Nigeria. A/HRC/32/32/Add.2. [Accessed 22 June 2016]
United States (US). 13 April 2016. Department of State. "Nigeria." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015. [Accessed 23 June 2016]
Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD). 20 June 2016. Correspondence from the Director.
Widows for Peace through Democracy (WPD). N.d. "Widows for Peace through Democracy." [Accessed 23 June 2016]
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: ActionAid; African Women's Lawyers Association; Lawyer; Mothers and Marginalized Advocacy Centre; Professor, University of Kansas; Project Alert on Violence Against Women; Women's Rights Watch Nigeria.
Internet sites, including: ActionAid; CLEEN Foundation; ecoi.net; Factiva; Human Rights Watch; IRIN; Nigeria – Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD); UN – Refworld.