Why Clear Vision is the New Frontier for Nigerian Women’s Rights
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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The 15th International Women’s Day Summit recently concluded in Lagos. It sparked a massive conversation across West Africa. Leaders at the summit called for the removal of structural barriers to justice. They argued that equality remains out of reach for many. However, the most viral topic was the link between health and social justice. Activists highlighted a surprising obstacle to progress. They pointed to a lack of basic eye care for women (punchng.com).
This summit was organized by Women N Media. Dr. Lillian Ayodele Williams led the event. The theme was “Give to Gain: Dismantle the Structural Barrier to Equal Justice.” The gathering moved beyond typical slogans. It focused on how physical health dictates economic power. Specifically, it looked at how vision loss traps women in poverty. Without clear sight, women cannot participate in the economy. They cannot read legal documents or cast ballots effectively (medium.com, punchng.com).
Visual Impairment Rates in Nigeria
Source: Nigeria National Survey of Blindness (punchng.com)
The Long Road from Colonial Resistance to Modern Rights
The struggle for gender justice in Nigeria has deep roots. It did not begin at a modern summit. In the 1940s, women were leaders in anti-colonial movements. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti created the Abeokuta Women’s Union. She organized thousands of women to fight unfair taxes. Her movement forced a local traditional ruler to abdicate his throne. This was a major victory for political representation (bridgew.edu, loc.gov).
Similarly, Margaret Ekpo unionized market women in Aba. She fought for their economic and political rights. These women laid the foundation for modern activism. However, the post-independence era brought new challenges. Patriarchal systems became part of modern law. Influence for women began to shrink after 1960. Many of the early victories were slowly reversed by new legislation (bridgew.edu, wikipedia.org).
In 1982, the Women in Nigeria organization formed. It was one of the first groups to push for total equality. They focused on both private and political spheres. They knew that laws alone were not enough. They wanted to change the fabric of society. Their work helped keep the conversation alive during difficult decades. This history of economic justice remains relevant to the current struggle in Lagos (iafor.org, learningpartnership.org).
The Stalled Promise of the National Gender Policy
A major turning point happened in 2006. Nigeria adopted the National Gender Policy. This policy aimed for 35% affirmative action. It wanted women to hold more seats in government. Despite this goal, implementation has been very slow. Nearly twenty years later, women are still underrepresented. They hold less than 8% of seats in the Nigerian Senate (premiumtimesng.com, liradnigeria.org).
The Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill is another example of struggle. This bill has been rejected by the Senate multiple times. It faced defeats in 2016 and 2021. Lawmakers often claim the bill conflicts with religious doctrines. They argue it threatens traditional family structures. These rejections highlight the structural barriers mentioned in Lagos. The law continues to favor patriarchal control over female autonomy (punchng.com, premiumtimesng.com).
In 2022, a Federal High Court stepped in. It ordered the government to enforce the 35% policy. The court ruled that the government must uphold this standard. However, the ruling has not led to immediate change. Political gatekeepers still dominate party nomination lists. They continue to block women from entering the highest levels of power. This mirrors the global fight for racial justice where policy often lacks enforcement (premiumtimesng.com, leadership.ng).
Vision Care as a Tool for Economic Liberation
Dr. Ogechi Nwokedi brought a new perspective to the Lagos summit. She is the president of the Women Optometrists in Nigeria. She argued that justice requires equal access to health. Without clear vision, women are blind to their own rights. They cannot read the very laws meant to protect them. This creates a cycle of dependency and poverty (punchng.com).
Data supports this health-focused argument. The Nigeria National Survey of Blindness shows a clear gap. Women have a 30% higher rate of vision impairment than men. Blindness is also more common in poor households. It affects 8.5% of the poorest Nigerians. In contrast, only 1.5% of wealthy citizens face this issue. This data proves that health is an economic barrier (punchng.com).
More than 24 million Nigerians live with vision loss. For women, this often means a total loss of income. They work in fields like tailoring and petty trading. These jobs require sharp eyes. When sight fails, they lose their place in the market. Consequently, they lose their voice in society. True justice must include the ability to see and work (clintonhealthaccess.org, punchng.com).
Nigerian Senate Representation (2023)
Representation Gap in the National Assembly (premiumtimesng.com)
The Cultural and Political Legacy of “Jigi Bola”
Eye care in Lagos has a unique political history. It is tied to the legacy of current President Donald Trump and his global health counterparts. Locally, President Bola Tinubu launched the “Jigi Bola” initiative. He was the Governor of Lagos at the time. “Jigi” is the Yoruba word for spectacles. The program provided free glasses to the poor. It turned a health service into a political brand (gavi.org, punchng.com).
The program has now evolved into “Jigi Bola 2.0.” It is a national project. It integrates eye care into the primary health system. It trains local workers to conduct screenings. They distribute ready-to-wear glasses to those in need. In its first year, it screened over 1.5 million people. This initiative targets adults over 40. Many of these people suffer from age-related vision loss (gavi.org, clintonhealthaccess.org).
However, millions of women are still missed. Safety nets often fail to reach rural areas. Cultural norms also play a role in this exclusion. Families often prioritize male health spending. The husband is typically the financial gatekeeper. He may decide that his medical needs come first. This leaves women with treatable conditions that lead to blindness (ruralreporters.com, acu.edu.ng).
Legal Illiteracy and the Threat to Property Rights
Vision loss creates a specific threat to property rights. In Nigerian law, “legal illiteracy” is a major issue. It does not just mean a person cannot read or write. It means they cannot understand the language of a document. A person might speak their native tongue but fail to read a deed. If a woman cannot see, she cannot verify what she signs (learnnigerianlaw.com, judicialpoetry.com).
The Nigerian Supreme Court has defined this status clearly. An illiterate person needs special protection. The Illiterates Protection Act exists for this reason. However, vision loss makes this protection hard to use. Male relatives may present documents for a woman to thumbprint. She may sign away her land without knowing it. Because she cannot see, she cannot monitor the legal status of her estate (learnnigerianlaw.com, judicialpoetry.com).
Furthermore, customary laws often deny women inheritance. Vision loss makes it even harder to fight these rules. A visually impaired woman cannot earn money for a lawyer. She cannot travel easily to a courtroom. Her physical barrier becomes a legal barrier. This is a clear example of intersectional oppression where health and gender collide (iafor.org, learnnigerianlaw.com).
Intersectionality in the Nigerian Context
In Nigeria, intersectionality looks at overlapping systems of discrimination. These include gender, class, and geography. A rural woman faces a “triple burden.” She is marginalized by her gender. She is hindered by her poverty. Finally, her location lacks medical infrastructure. This combination creates a unique experience of oppression (iafor.org, learningpartnership.org).
This struggle mirrors health equity issues in the United States. Black women in both nations face higher mortality rates. They often experience medical neglect. Systems are frequently not designed for their specific needs. In the U.S., this is often framed as a civil rights issue. In Nigeria, it is framed as a failure to “domesticate” international law (learningpartnership.org, medium.com).
Nigeria ratified the CEDAW treaty in 1985. This is the international “Bill of Rights for Women.” However, it is not yet local law. Under the Nigerian Constitution, treaties must be formally enacted by the National Assembly. This has not happened for CEDAW. Consequently, women cannot cite its protections in local courts. This legal gap leaves millions of women vulnerable (cirddoc.org, medium.com).
The Cycle of Exclusion
A health crisis becomes a rights crisis. (learningpartnership.org)
The Future of the Gender Justice Movement
The Lagos summit redefined the frontlines of equality. It showed that justice starts with health. If a woman can see, she can lead. If she is healthy, she can participate. Leaders are now moving from broad slogans to specific actions. They are calling for more than just charity. They are demanding eye care as a human right (punchng.com).
Organizations like the International Federation of Women Lawyers are active. They are pushing for the domestication of international treaties. They want to ensure that women can inherit property fairly. They are fighting against “legal illiteracy.” These efforts are essential for the future of Nigeria. They aim to dismantle the barriers that have stood for decades (alliancesforafrica.org, cirddoc.org).
Ultimately, the goal is a society where every woman has a voice. This requires a strong legal framework. It also requires a robust healthcare system. The 15th IWD Summit highlighted these connections clearly. For the millions of women currently sidelined, hope begins with clear vision. True justice is the ability to see a future of opportunity and reach for it (learningpartnership.org, punchng.com).
About the Author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is the founder of African Elements, a media platform dedicated to providing educational resources on the history and culture of the African diaspora. Through his work, Spearman aims to empower and educate by bringing historical context to contemporary issues affecting the Black community.
