Dissertation Title
Canadian-Nigerian Engagements in the Area of Women's Rights
Dissertation Topic
My research topic explores the nature, attainments, problems and prospects of past and ongoing Canadian/Nigerian human rights engagements, particularly in the area of women’s rights within a specific timeline. Canada and Nigeria continue to relate diplomatically on several fronts, and I am examining whether the duo’s relationship has influenced the status of women in Nigeria by improving it, worsening it, or whether it has had no impact whatsoever on women in Nigeria. I specifically hope to find out how much cooperation has existed between these two countries – by investigating how Canada has behaved, how Nigeria has responded, how the duo’s interactions have affected their activities/engagements in the area of women’s rights, what benefits have arisen from their interactions, what disadvantages or problems (if any) have developed and what the future holds for future engagements, as well as the implications for policy, practice, and theory. The engagements to be studied include all actions and inactions taken by governmental and non-governmental actors, with more focus being paid to the former. Beyond discovering Canada’s role in Nigeria and although the bulk of the research focuses on Canada, I am also examining the ways, if any, that Nigeria has in turn contributed to Canada’s women’s rights movement. There is scarce scholarly study that focuses directly and comprehensively on the engagements between Nigeria and Canada in the area of human rights or women’s rights. Most literature focus on foreign policy towards Africa, trade and investment, conflict/security, development aid or assistance, peacekeeping and even support of democratic and constitutional reform. My research will therefore be novel in examining the scope of these interactions with priority on women’s rights; its outcome will also help strengthen the mutual roles of these countries in each other’s relations.