Prof. Ayodele Atsenuwa, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Lagos, says that pregnant women in Nigeria must not be allowed to die in the process of giving birth as it was part of their constitutional rights.
She made this known at the 6th Annual Population Lectures Series (APLS), tagged ‘Governance: People, Rights and Opportunities’ on Wednesday in Abuja.
Atsenuwa, who was the guest speaker at the event noted that it was high time Nigeria enacted a law that makes every pregnancy related death an offence in the country.
“There should be a law that will make the Nigerian state answerable for any pregnancy related death.
“But the law cannot also take its cause when people do not come out with their cases.
“Nigerians must also change their mentality that it is a normal thing when they hear cases of pregnancy related deaths,” she said.
She added that such cases were aspects where gender inequality plays out in the country.
According to her, high maternal mortality and morbidity rates, high child mortality rate and high infant mortality rates were some inequalities and injustice to human rights.
Others are HIV prevalence and risk of infection, gender based violence, gender based sexual violence and resurgence of sexual slavery.
She however called on Nigerians to support the issue of constitutional review and ensure that the judicial capacity in the country is strengthened so that issues relating to human rights would be judiciously addressed.
