VIOLENCE AGAINST PERSONS (PROHIBITION) ACT 2015: ADVANCING LEGAL PROTECTIONS OF WOMEN AGAINST VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Violence  against  Women  is  a  reoccurring  phenomenon  in  Nigeria.  It  crosses  cultures,  religions  and  zones.  It  is  a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between women and men, which have led to domination over and discrimination against womenby men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women. Violence against women is not only a gross human rights violation; it is a public health epidemic and a major impediment to national and  global  development  efforts  to  reduce  poverty.  The  purpose  of  this  study  is  to  analyze  current  legislation  on violence in Nigeria, the Violence against Person (Prohibition) Act 2015. It is a well designed regulatory instrument and  a  platform  for  action  to  advance,  shield  and  fortify  women  against  violence.  The Act  prohibits  all  forms  of violence in private and public life and provides maximum protection and effective remedies for victims, punishment of offenders, jurisdiction of courts and procedure for prosecution. The approach adopted is a contentment analysisof  the  provisions  of  the  legislation.  The  author  finds  that  existing  legislations  on  violence  lacked  scope,  massively discriminate  against  women  and  not  in  line  with  international  best  practices.  The  paper  recommends  urgent domestication of the Act by States