1.8 1.8.1 EQUALITY IN MARRIAGE AND FAMILY Proactive and Innovative Measures to Remove Contradictions in the Tripartite Act  To further guarantee equality in marriage, Section 21 of the Child’s Rights Act stipulates eighteen years as the minimum age for marriage and betrothal. This takes care of the absence of a fixed age of marriage in the Marriage Act, Cap. M6, Vol. 8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and the Matrimonial Causes Act, Cap, M.7, Vol.8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and outlaws the arbitrary fixing of age of marriage under customary and traditional practices. At least 22 states of the Federation have adopted the provisions of the Child’s Rights Act, 2003.  Enhancing Family Life The Nigerian Law Reform Commission has undertaken extensive reforms of the Nigerian Family Law, Law Relating to Rape and Other Sexual Offences as well as Laws on Marriage. The reforms specifically address issues pertaining to Section 55 of Chapter 198 of the 1990 Constitution, and section 360 of the Nigerian Criminal Code. Issues covered include: a) Testifying against a Spouse: Previously only women married by ordinance were protected from testifying in court against their husbands in criminal matters but by the reform, women married under customary and Islamic Laws are now covered. b) Divorce under customary and Islamic laws will now follow due process and besides return of dowry, divorce paper will now be obtainable. c) Customary and Islamic marriages can now be registered. d) Pregnant women no longer share cells with other detainees or prison inmates. e) Nursing mothers relieved of sharing cells with other detainees or prisoners. 1.8.2 Other Related Initiatives by NGOs and Government  Also worthy of mention here are the health sector initiatives on gender-based violence embarked upon by Federal Ministry of Health. These include the development of a draft policy guideline for the management and control of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) targeting health workers, law enforcement agents and the Judiciary. This is a follow-up to the findings of its 2003 National HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Survey.  Between 2014 and 2016, the under listed Nigerian NGOs and several others, engaged in diverse public education activities, capacity building initiatives, legal assistance and counseling services for female victims and survivors of violence and violation of human rights: Project Alert, Lagos; WRAPA, Abuja; BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Lagos; WACOL, Enugu; Action Health Incorporated, Lagos; Girls’ Power Initiative (GPI), Calabar; WOCON, Lagos; CIRDDOC, Enugu; WOTCLEF, Abuja; Women’s Optimum Development, WARDC, Lagos; GADA Lagos; LRRDC Lagos, AHIP, Kano; GHARF Enugu; WHARC, Benin etc. 1.8.3 Decided Cases in Support of Equality in Marriage The Nigeria Bench is not left out as activist pronouncement and cutting down of customs that held women down are declared. The Supreme Court of Nigeria has taken the violation of women’s right as a special project which is evidenced in the number of judgments cutting down obnoxious customary practices against women. 45