ADVANCING WOMEN’S RIGHTS IN NIGERIA; ANALYSIS OF LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DIMENSIONS

The protection of women's rights remains a critical issue globally and in Nigeria, despite international and domestic legal frameworks designed to ensure gender equality. This study examined the economic rights which include right to work, right to just and favourable conditions of work which have been marginalised, political rights which includes right to vote, right to form or join political parties, rights to participate in the government which are not protected, and legal rights which include rights to fair trial, rights to own property, right to education which have been marginalised in Nigeria, it analysed the laws and institutions that protects women's rights at international, regional and domestic level, this study identified the legal and institutional frameworks on how rights of women can be effectively protected. This study adopted the doctrinal approach which entails both the primary and secondary sources of law. The primary sources included 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, The Child Rights Act 2003, Violence Against Person (Prohibition) Act 2015 while the secondary sources of law included textbooks, journal articles and the internet. The study found that while Nigeria have made efforts through its legal and institutional frameworks, there have been significant weaknesses in the enforcement of the legal and institutional frameworks protecting women's rights in Nigeria. This study found that most international treaties that Nigeria is a signatory to, Nigeria have not domesticated the treaties in her legal system to avoid redress from women whom their rights are marginalized. It concluded with the need to call for more attention to the plights of women as they have equal rights with men. The study recommended urgent legal reforms to criminalize deliberate discrimination of women alongside effective implementation of laws that are already in force.