Litigation: A Strategy for Enhancing Accountability in Women Reproductive Health Right in Nigeria

Abstract

High maternal mortality ratio serve as objective indicator to the poor condition of women’s health in any country and point to multiple violations of wide range of human rights. Reproductive health care is very fundamental to a women’s wellbeing, since a major burden of diseases in women are related to their reproductive functions, and the way in which society treat or mistreat women. Although, regional and international human rights mechanisms are increasingly framing maternal mortality as human rights issues and crafting laws and commitments that take this framework into accounts, far too many preventable maternal deaths and injuries continue to occur, Nigeria continues to have a high  maternal mortality ratios despite recent statistics that point to global reduction in the number of maternal deaths and maternal mortality ratio. This work contends that Nigeria government and other actors should be held accountable for failing to implement human rights obligation and making safe motherhood reality for women in Nigeria. It advances litigation as a key strategy. It assesses how international, regional and national human rights laws and initiatives could be developed to promote accountability vis-a-vis the role of national human rights institution in ensuring accountability for poor maternal health outcomes, using case law from other jurisdiction, it concludes by reiterating that governments must implement pertinent human rights obligations in order to effectively address the prevalence of maternal mortality and morbidity in Nigeria territory.