Women and Environmental Justice Issues in Nigeria: An Evaluation

Historically, oil and gas exploration and production activities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have continuously negatively impacted the livelihood and well-being of vulnerable groups, especially (rural) women. These activities directly affect the ability of women to source for food, water, wood energy, and other natural resources that traditionally support their provisioning, caregiving, and economic roles in society, leading to poverty and multidimensional socioeconomic challenges. Women, especially in the Niger Delta region, have been actively involved in seeking redress for the negative environmental impacts flowing from exploration and production activities in the oil and gas sector in Nigeria by adopting informal strategies in the form of protests. This chapter explores the effectiveness of women-led protests and recent judicial developments that indicate the prospects for improving women’s access to justice in Nigeria. This chapter argues that the women in the Niger Delta could adopt litigation, including foreign or cross-border litigation, as part of the formal strategies to improve access to environmental justice. Hence, one of the key arguments in this chapter is that akin to what occurs in other parts of the world, women in the Niger Delta could rely on litigation as one of the strategies to improve access to environmental justice. Methodology used for this chapter is doctrinal, consisting of analysis of relevant legislation, scholarly publications, and case reports through an environmental justice lens, with emphasis on gender aspects. The chapter is divided into five sections: 1.) conceptualizing the gender aspects of environmental justice in Nigeria; 2.) exploring women-led protests as a strategy for accessing environmental justice in the Niger Delta; 3.) analyzing litigation as an alternative strategy; 4.) considering the prospects for improving women’s access to environmental justice in Nigeria through litigation; and 5.) a conclusion.