Reclaiming Women’s Agency for Reproductive Justice in Nigeria Today: Flourishing for Mother and Child in Situations of Constraints

Abstract

The issue of ‘agency’ for Nigerian women today is being widely debated. Consequently, this study employs a Catholic feminist method to examine the importance of reclaiming women’s agency for reproductive justice in Nigeria. After explaining the conditions that constrain women’s ability to stand up for their needs, the paper defends a needs-based approach to securing reproductive justice for Nigerian women. The paper argues that flourishing for women and children in Nigeria will depend upon increased awareness of human needs and solutions that identify adequate strategies for securing stated needs. The paper suggests a need-based approach to reclaiming women’s agency and argues that the Catholic Church’s role in advancing reproductive justice in Nigeria could take inspiration from a need-based and dialogical (synodal) approach.