Towards Ending Discrimination

Tomorrow, March 1, 2022, marks the International Day Against Discrimination. This annual global event advances diversity and recognises the importance of everyone. The United Nations (UN) vigorously promotes the day with various activities to celebrate everyone’s right to live a full life with dignity regardless of age, gender, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, height, weight, profession, education, and beliefs.
Many countries have laws against bigotry, but it is always a problem at every level of society in States. Discrimination has been and continues to be the mode of government in several nations. The butterfly is the symbol of Zero Discrimination Day, widely used by people to share their stories and photos as a means to end prejudice and work for positive change.
The UN first celebrated Zero Discrimination Day on March 1, 2014, after UNAIDS, a UN programme on Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), launched its Zero Discrimination Campaign on World AIDS Day in December, 2013. This day sheds light on how people can learn and foster inclusion, compassion, peace and, most importantly, a movement for change.
Zero Discrimination Day facilitates a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination. This year’s theme is: “Remove Laws That Harm, Create Laws That Empower”. With this theme, UNAIDS underlines the urgent need for action against discriminatory laws.
In many countries, laws result in people being regarded differently, excluded from essential services or being subject to undue restrictions on how they live their lives, simply because of who they are, what they do or who they love. These laws are discriminatory and deny people their human rights and fundamental freedoms.
States have the moral and legal obligation to repeal discriminatory laws and to enact laws that protect people against injustice. Everyone has a responsibility to hold states accountable, to demand change, and to contribute to efforts to eliminate inequitable legislation. It will allow people to live full and productive lives and live their lives with dignity, free from patronage.
Inequality is growing for more than 70 per cent of the world’s population, exacerbating the risk of division and impeding economic and social development. And COVID-19 has the hardest impact on the most vulnerable. As new pandemic vaccines become available, access to them is very patchy. Many have equated this to vaccine apartheid.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark Zero Discrimination Day, the Federal Government must seriously eradicate the ill by ensuring that anti-discrimination laws become active with a direct impact on the lives of Nigerians. There is no doubt about the deplorable impact discrimination continues to impair in the country, causing misery to many and subverting collaborative efforts aimed at achieving a just and equitable nation.
In Nigeria, people with HIV are particularly facing daunting challenges as a result of the stigma associated with the disease. However, each act of discrimination conceals a flood of ignorance. We must ensure that everyone, no matter where they are, has access to health care in a safe environment where it is possible to live a full life with grandeur and without injustice.
More education is needed to end discrimination against women in Nigeria. Surprisingly, women often commit unfair acts against fellow women. Women are still practising a few old traditions which show signs of discrimination against other women across the country. Nigerian women must unlearn certain ancient traditions that they hold dear if the country is to end partiality in this regard.
There is a role for everyone to play in eliminating discrimination in our society. The family must play a role in the training of a child. At the Community level, certain obstacles and practices are discriminatory and, at the governmental level, it is necessary to guarantee equitable access to opportunities and resources. Stakeholders, including faith-based organisations and community leaders, should strive towards the goal of zero discrimination.
In January 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Prohibition of Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities Bill into law to enable the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. The law also establishes the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and entrusts the Commission with responsibility for education, health care, social, economic and civil rights.
A list of penalties is set out for individuals or corporations that contravene this Act. Corporate bodies who discriminate against a person on the grounds of their disability are fined N1m while individuals who treat a person with a disability differently are liable to pay N100,000 or spend six months in jail, or both.
While proponents celebrated the Act, as they should, their joy was somewhat marred because when it comes to policy change in Nigeria, it is the least challenging of hurdles to get over. Implementation is usually where the problem lies, as there seems to be a constant gap between enacting and enforcing laws. Sadly, this law has never been enforced.
The Nigerian government must unite efforts with the rest of the world to end the inequalities surrounding income, sex, age, health status, occupation, disability, sexual orientation, drug use, gender identity, race, class, ethnicity and religion that are prevalent. Eliminating unevenness demands transformational change. Government needs to promote inclusive social and economic growth and eliminate discriminatory laws, policies and practices to ensure equal opportunities.