DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON WOMEN'S RIGHTS TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

It has become generally accepted as a truism that women are discriminated against and therefore generally disadvantaged worldwide. Though the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent international instruments like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) entrenched, affirm and reaffirmed the principle of equality of all as a foundation for freedom, justice and peace in the world, women have continued to suffer discriminations starting from the period predating birth through girlhood to adulthood. Efforts at creating equal opportunities for women at political, economic and social planes have not achieved desired result due to deep-rooted cultural and religious abuses. This paper will attempt a quick look at socio-economic rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR), International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), other international and domestic instruments with a view to establishing what constitute socio-economic rights. The paper will also discuss briefly the vexed issue of justiciability of socio-economic rights with a view to establishing that such rights are enforceable in Nigeria to the extent to which there are Acts or Law of the legislature promoting them. Finally, the paper will take a critical look at various discriminatory practices against women at all levels and how they constitute blockages to the realisation of rights to social and economic development with a conclusion that there are sufficient legal instruments to challenge such discriminatory practices in Nigerian courts.

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