Gender and Human Rights Implications of Women Trafficking in Northern Nigeria

Abstract

One major crime in today’s contemporary international law is human trafficking. It is essentially a gender-based phenomenon because many of the victims are women and girls. While it may appear that the problem seems to be more in the southern axis of Nigeria, there is indication that the Northern axis of Nigeria is not immune from this social malaise that has ravaged many countries in the world. In the northern Nigeria, the traffickers also known as ‘Hajiya’ recruit their victims mostly through delusion in their desire to go to Saudi Arabia for pilgrimage but whom unfortunately, were later forced into street begging, domestic labour and even prostitution. However, the implications of this phenomenon are many which include the infringement upon women’s right and dignity in which increase in exposure to sexually transmitted disease, psychological and physical abuses, despite the fact that Nigeria is a signatory to many International and national Instruments, in terms of protecting the human rights and dignity of its citizens. This paper examines the implications of women trafficking in Northern Nigeria as it impinges on their human right. While it looks at the official efforts at counter-trafficking, it further analyses the challenges being encountered in the process on the basis of which recommendations are to be made.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n26p15