by Ogbu Mercy
The CLEEN Foundation recently hosted a two-day Policy Dialogue on Gender, Accountability, and Transparency in Implementing the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015. The event focused on the roles of various stakeholders in the criminal justice system in executing the provisions of the ACJA, 2015, with a specific emphasis on Gender, Transparency, and Accountability.
Key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Justice, the Correctional Service, the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry for Women and Children Affairs, the Legal Aid Council, FIDA, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Customs Service, the Nigerian Immigration Service, the Nigerian Bar Association, and the ACJL CSOs Observatory Group were in attendance.
Dr. Gabriel Akinremi, representing Peter Maduoma, the Acting Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, highlighted the importance of collective efforts in advancing justice, equality, and integrity within the Nigerian criminal justice system. Gender equality and transparency were underscored as crucial elements for democratic governance and justice.
During the dialogue, participants identified several challenges which including inadequate awareness of laws, insufficient training of law enforcement agencies, lack of collaboration among stakeholders, gender disparities in the workforce, and inadequate budgetary provisions.
To address these challenges, stakeholders proposed eight recommendations, including reviewing the Sokoto State ACJL, ensuring effective implementation of existing laws, collaborating with all MDAs for a gender-responsive budget, advocating for timely disbursement of funds to support gender-responsive initiatives, and improving systems for collecting and monitoring data related to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
In conclusion, the participants emphasized the need to implement these recommendations through appropriate regulations to enhance Sokoto State’s inclusivity and gender responsiveness.
