Prof Ezeilo: Advocating For Women Inclusion

For decades, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Prof. Joy Ezeilo has been in the forefront of the campaign for women inclusion in politics in Nigeria and Africa at large.

To her, there is no way Nigeria and Africa can make claims to sustainable development without full participation of women in governance and indeed in all sectors of the economy.

This was what motivated Ezeilo to be part of the movement for affirmative action. She was part of those who drafted the Rwanda constitution, included the affirmative action in the country’s constitution. “In Rwanda, I was part of the movement for affirmative action and getting it into their constitution and more women are participating in politic in that country,” she affirmed.

Ezeilo has tried to do the same in Nigeria, by drafting five gender bills which are Bill No 35: Special Seats for Women; Bill No 36: Expansion of the scope of citizenship by registration; Bill No 37: Affirmative action for women in political party administration; Bill No 38: Indigeneship rights and Bill No 68 (formerly Bill No 45): Affirmative action in ministerial and commissioner appointments.

Statistics by the Gender Strategy Advancement International(GSAI), on the low political participation of women in Nigeria showed that women’s participation in politics in Nigeria falls below the world and African continental standards. The report revealed that the national average of women’s political participation in Nigeria remains at 6.7 per cent in elective and appointive positions, which is far below the global average of 22.5 per cent and Africa regional average of 23.4 per cent and the West African Sub Regional average of 15 per cent.

The gender bills were meant to enhance women’s chances at running and winning election, Ezeilo averred. However, it saddened her heart, that, despite her efforts to include the five gender bills into the constitution,  it did not yield positive results, as they were all rejected by the 9th National Assembly. 

Ezeilo is not allowing the failure to discourage her. She told LEADERSHIP, that she and other women activists in Nigeria will continue to push for the gender bills. It is her hope that the 10th National Assembly will pass the bills into law.

CAREER & EDUCATION 

Prof. Ezeilo was the winner of the National Human Rights Award (2019). She holds a Ph.D. (Nig.), LLM (London), LL.B. (Nig.), BL, Diploma, Peace and Conflict Resolution (Uppsala). She is a versatile legal scholar recognized as a leading authority in the field of international human rights, especially on the rights of women and children in Africa. 

A former Dean of Law at the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Ezeilo is currently the head of department, Department of Public Law, Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria (UNN).

She is a member of  the United Nations Civil Society Advisory Board on Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; Member, the Body of Benchers, Nigeria and also, Member of the Governing Council of the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS). She is also the Chairperson of the Sexual Assault Referral Network (SARC), Nigeria.

Ezeilo was appointed in 2008 as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, and served in that capacity globally until July 31st 2014. She was also appointed in December 2013 by the UN Secretary General as a member of the five persons Board of Trustees UN Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking. 

She is the founding director of WomenAid Collective (WACOL), a national organization that promotes human rights of women and young people; that also founded the Tamar Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

WACOL was founded in 1997 and ever since, it has been providing free legal aid and services to over 55,000 women and children, including juveniles in conflict with the law.

She is the 2019 winner of the National Human Rights Award (Individual Category) through competitive public voting process conducted by the National Human Rights Commission. Ezeilo pioneered the teaching of women and children law in Nigeria and started the teaching in 1997 at the Faculty of Law, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. 

Ezeilo is a visiting professor to several universities, especially in North America, including being a fellow-in-residence, University of California, Irvine; and a regent Professor, University of California, Riverside (2001). She  has published extensively in similar areas of law with over 60 academic publications and more than 250 conference papers – published and unpublished. 

Ezeilohas impacted thousands of lives through provision of free legal aid to the poor, especially to women and girls whose human rights have been violated. 

Ezeilo is married to Dr. Augustine Ezenta Ezeilo and they have children and a grandchild.