Introduction
Energy injustices are prevalent throughout Nigeria, especially in the oil industry. Women are a susceptible group towards these injustices and have an extreme disadvantage when it comes to being exposed to harmful chemicals from oil production. This case study will examine how the oil industry affects women’s basic rights as well as women’s reproductive rights. The energy justice framework presents eight different energy values that should be taken into consideration during the production of energy, as well as during the consumption process. These values are availability, affordability, due process (human rights), information, sustainability, intergenerational equity, intragenerational equity and responsibility. While each of these principles are extremely important the three that are the most relevant to women’s rights in Nigeria are responsibility, intragenerational equity and due process. Responsibility means that governments and companies need to take responsibility for negative externalities brought on by energy production. This means taking steps towards solving environmental damage or the creation of social problems within a country (Sovacool 370). Intragenerational equity means that people have the right to access energy services fairly. This means that the energy should not leave certain people with polluted water air or other environmentally harmed goods that would harm people’s basic wellbeing (Sovacool 370). Finally, due process means that the production of energy should not harm people’s basic human rights. This means that communities should be able to be involved in basic decision-making in projects that will affect them (Sovacool 368).
Background
While oil exploitation has brought large amounts of wealth to Nigeria, it has come at the expense of negative externalities on the population, especially women. Oil spills as well as waste and water discharge from the oil refineries have caused severe health problems, loss of biodiversity as well as sociocultural issues. Many oil companies report oil spills as theft. When this occurs, people in the area do not receive any compensation for the damages that occur (Amnesty International 5). Women have felt the greatest impact from oil spills and gas flaring because the women farm and fish so they are exposed to more environmental hazards. This type of exposure puts women at risk both in terms of health, but also for indirect factors (Oluduro 774). In addition to being exposed to fumes and waste, Nigerians are drinking from well water that has been contaminated with carcinogens. In some cases water was brought into these communities, but the rate at which it is brought in is erratic and sometimes is not any cleaner than the water out of their wells (Fox News). The lack of clean water as well the long term exposure to chemicals from the oil production has increased the chance of miscarriage, stillbirth as well as increasing the women’s blood pressure which can starve the fetus of oxygen (Oluduro 775).
While the oil production has immediate consequences on the health and wellbeing of women, it also has indirect consequences on women. One indirect consequence has been an increase in sexual assault. Soldiers that come into the area to prevent outbreaks of riots have been known to sexually assault women who participate in the protests. In one province of the Niger Delta as many as 40 rapes are being reported each day (Oluduro 781). This type of sexual behavior increases the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and STDs in the region. In addition to this there has been a huge sociocultural impact on women. Many women are forced into becoming sex workers because the amount of oil has killed off a large amount of the agriculture in the area, eliminating one of the main sources of work for women. This creates a stigma on women, which can be very hard to over come in the community. In addition this is effecting women’s health because it is eliminating medicinal plants in the area used by local doctors. About 60-80% of Nigerian plan and animal species are in the Niger Delta, so the oil byproducts lead to a huge loss of Nigerian biodiversity (Oluduro 784).
Responsibility
Responsibility has played a huge role in the continuation of these practices on women. Even though more than 40 rapes are being reported per day, the government has not acknowledged that they are occurring. Even though the government has not admitted to rape, they cannot deny it either because there have been national stories on some of the victims. A main reason for this lack of responsibility taken on these injustices to women’s rights is a lack of female representation in the government. Without a female to speak on behalf of the women’s needs, the government will continue to ignore the problems that women face. This plays a huge role in the injustices against women in the area because if the government continues to ignore the problem, the oil companies as well as soldiers that come into the region will think their actions are ok.
Intragenerational Equity
This plays an important role because is it fair that the women in Nigeria have to suffer in order for other people in the international community to receive oil? Nigeria will need to create a solution to leave the women in a better situation to be able to export oil into the international community. While this will be expensive and time consuming, it is not fair to leave this population with such negative externalities from the extraction of oil.
Due Process
Every person should have access to basic human rights as declared by the Universal declaration of 1948. Clearly this is a violation of women’s basic human rights. Once again, the government will need to acknowledge the violations that are occurring because of oil extraction before any progress is made. Women should be included in talks about the oil extraction so that they can address their concerns about what is happening as a result of this process. If women are able to participate in the decision making this will greatly improve their livelihoods.
Moving Forward
Looking forward, there are a few things the government can do in order to help improve the situation for women in Nigeria. One is to improve the quality of the healthcare system. This system is currently underfunded and many women cannot receive the quality of treatment necessary (Oluduro 784). For women to have their voice heard, it is imperative that women start to play a larger role in the government. As long as there is minimal female participation there will not be any improvement to the situation because nobody will speak on their behalf (Oluduro 785). Not only should women increase presence in the government, but there also needs to be an increase in NGO’s speaking on behalf of women’s rights. This would provide female empowerment in different levels of society as well as provide a nonbiased organization that would be able to hold the government accountable for its actions (Oluduro 787). Oil production is necessary for the economy of Nigeria, but there are steps the country can take for the process to have fewer negative externalities on the population.
Bibliography
“Bad Information: Oil Spill investigations in the Niger Delta.” Amnesty International (2013): 5-13. Web.
“Failure to clean Niger Delta oil pollution still devastating people’s health: Amnesty.” Fox News (2014). Web.
Oluduro, Olubayo, Ebenezer Durojaye. “The implications of oil pollution for the enjoyment of sexual and reproductive rights of women in Niger Delta area of Nigeria.” The International Journal of Human Rights 17, 7-8 (2013): 772-795. Web.
Sovacool, Benjamin K., and Michael H. Dworkin. Global Energy Justice: Problems, Principles, and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2014. Print.
Nigeria Poster Information
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EG.USE.PCAP.KG.OE