A Critical Feminist Assessment of Nigeria's Response to Conflict-Related Sex and Gender-Based Violence in the Light of the United Nations Women Peace and Security Agenda

Abstract

This study examines the implementation of the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda (WPS) within national boundaries, focusing on the protection of women and girls' rights against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) during conflicts. The WPS Agenda aims to safeguard women in conflict situations and prioritise their rights and participation in peacebuilding and post-conflict reconstruction. A crucial aspect of advancing the WPS Agenda is the role of states, which are expected to fulfil their commitments by developing National Action Plans (NAPs). While the creation of NAPs can be considered an indication of a state's commitment to the WPS Agenda, this study demonstrates that the existence of NAPs alone does not provide sufficient insight into a state's actual implementation efforts or willingness to advance the Agenda's goals. Taking examples from Nigeria, this research illustrates that the mere existence of NAPs only sometimes translates into effective implementation. The study delves into Nigeria's NAPs and subsequent developments to assess how the WPS Agenda has been integrated into the country's legal framework to lay the structures necessary to enhance the protection of women from conflict-related SGBV when enforcement is done. By analysing the gap between policy formulation (NAP), laying of legal structures and enforcement or lack thereof, this study highlights the importance of evaluating the tangible actions states take beyond the creation of NAPs to truly measure their commitment to the WPS Agenda.