FIDA boss cautions men to respect rights of wives

The President, International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA), Ms. Hauwa Shekarau, has called on couples to always consider their children before taking harsh decision on divorce.

Hauwa made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Port Harcourt adding that FIDA had interest in the rights of women and children.

She said FIDA recognised men’s role as heads of the family unit, but noted that part of FIDA’s objectives was to ensure that women enjoyed their right as human beings.

“What we are doing about protecting women’s right is not about trying to downplay the role and the importance of men in the society.

“The position of men is the position given to them by God; we cannot take that away from them but what we are saying is that women are human beings.

`Women’s rights are human rights, just as the man has right; the women also have their rights.

“But a situation where the man, as the head of the family, now thinks he is the Alpha and Omega, and treats the woman unjustly, this is where we come in to say he cannot do that,“ Shekarau said.

She said every human being, old or young, had some basic rights that were indelible unless in the case of crime found guilty, the court would take away some of the rights.

Hauwa said that the federation was also promoting peaceful co-existence between the men and the women.

“All we are asking for is give women the opportunity to be the proper helpmate so that they can support you to do the best you can do in the home as God ordained,“ she said.

Hauwa said that there were issues of the children’s right in case the marriage could not work and the couples decided to go their separate ways.

She said that FIDA was interested in seeing a well-balanced society where the rights of men and women and the children were protected and people lived in peace and were happy.

The FIDA President said that the organisation had zero tolerance for men trampling on the rights of women.

Hauwa Shekarau, 45, is a law graduate of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London where she obtained LL.B and LL.M in 1991 and 2007 respectively.