Reproductive health injustice in internally displaced persons camps in Nigeria
2025-12-13
The sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria remain critically under-addressed, with displaced women facing compounded vulnerabilities shaped by intersecting forms of marginalization. This study examines the multidimensional reproductive injustices experienced in New Kuchigoro camp, Abuja, and Malkohi camp, Yola, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 36 internally displaced women, selected through purposive sampling. Grounded in the reproductive justice theory and informed by intersectional feminism and structural violence, the research integrates doctrinal analysis with phenomenological inquiry. Findings reveal systemic barriers to reproductive autonomy, including coerced reproductive decisions, pervasive gender-based violence, and limited access to essential SRHR services. These injustices are compounded by entrenched socioeconomic inequalities, patriarchal power structures, and gaps in international and domestic legal protections for SRHR in displacement settings. The study underscores the urgency of gender-responsive healthcare interventions, economic empowerment initiatives, and robust accountability mechanisms to dismantle structural inequities and safeguard the reproductive rights of displaced women in Nigeria.