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« Human Rights Watch wants Taylor released for trial | Main | Nigeria governor on fraud charges »

December 20, 2005

Nigerian women defying bike ban

Women and motorbike taxi riders are defying a new ban in the Nigerian state of Kano that stops women travelling on the bikes by pretending to be related.

According to Islamic or Sharia law, men and women are not allowed to travel together on public transport, but women can travel with their male relations.

State authorities say mobile magistrate courts will impose on-the-spot fines on offenders of the law from Monday.

Women say there are not enough alternatives for them to get around.

Ahead of the ban that came into force this month, some 500 three-wheeled rickshaw taxis and 100 women's-only buses were introduced, but women say this is not sufficient.

The BBC's Ado Saleh Kankiya in the city of Kano says some 9,000 religious marshals have been on the streets to implement the ban that women and taxi riders have ignored.

In one incident, six people were wounded in a fight between taxi riders and the marshals.

The officials have not been arresting or fining offenders, just ordering women off the bikes.

But our correspondent says when stopped, many drivers and passengers pretend to be related.

For and against

From next week, offending taxi drivers will be face fines of between $40 to $80 from roving magistrate courts, our correspondent says.

In Zamfara State, taxi riders have been lashed when found carrying female passengers.

Kano is one of several Muslim majority states in northern Nigeria that adopted Sharia law five years ago.

The move initially heightened tensions between Muslims and Christians and led to clashes which left thousands dead.

Human rights groups have condemned abuses sanctioned under the law including amputations and flogging, and say it discriminates against women.

Sharia law appears to have retained popular support in the north.

But there is significant opposition to the law, especially among the Christian minority.

While officially it does not apply to them, many say that in practice they are forced to comply.

Posted by Publisher at December 20, 2005 04:37 PM

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