Restorative Justice for Gender-Based Violence Crimes in Nigeria
Global efforts to recognise women’s rights, particularly in addressing gender-based violence (GBV), have led to various reform initiatives. International Human Rights Treaties, such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), aim to protect women from GBV and promote their rights. However, these reforms have proven insufficient in some countries, including Nigeria, where the recognition of women’s rights and the needs of victims by the State’s Criminal Justice System face significant challenges. As part of its effort to reform justice systems, the United Nations has encouraged member states to reform and enhance their criminal justice systems and develop the rule of law through restorative justice. Restorative justice initiative aims to acknowledge and address the needs and rights of victims. The feminist movement has begun to critically examine whether restorative justice is suitable for resolving GBV cases involving women, sparking extensive global debates among academic feminists. Concerns have been raised about victim safety, exposure, and the potential re-victimisation of GBV victims through such an informal process with offenders. Given the lack of empirical studies on the acceptance of restorative justice for GBV offences, this study investigates the issue from the perspective of GBV women victims in Nigeria. This fills the existing empirical gap interrogating the suitability of using the restorative justice system for settling gender-based violence. Employing a mixed methodology of doctrinal and socio-legal approaches, the research utilises data from semi-structured interviews with mostly victims and some stakeholders. The study aims to evaluate whether women victims find restorative justice acceptable for addressing GBV in Nigeria. Focusing on heterosexual women from various regions of Nigeria who are GBV victims, this empirical study fills a gap by providing a Global South and Afro-centric perspective to the global restorative justice discourse. It offers insights into how restorative justice can be integrated into the Nigerian criminal justice system, thereby enhancing access to justice for women victims.
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