based violence is widely seen as a private family matter, except in the most severe cases. Victims rarely receive protection under the law and cases are rarely prosecuted, except if the victim is well educated or wealthy or has strong family backing. 350. Trafficking in women within and across national borders for sexual exploitation, forced marriage and domestic labour is a serious problem in Nigeria. Nigerian prostitutes are trafficked to countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Libya. This practice is perpetuated by extreme poverty, illiteracy, conflict, lack of parental responsibility, and preferential treatment of boys over girls – factors that force women to attempt to survive by any means. 351. Large family sizes tend to aggravate the magnitude of poverty among the poor and put pressure on parents and children, especially girls. Social family networks that existed in the extended family and community kinship ties have been weakened over the years, leading to easier victimisation of women, who are easier to lure away in these circumstances. Lack of employment opportunities for women within their communities also causes them to look for greener pastures, with the result that they end up engaging in prostitution and being trafficked. Some local government units are very large, making it harder to reach the most affected women. 352. Nigeria adopted the Protocol to Prevent, Eliminate and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. It ratified the convention in 2000 and the protocol in 2001. The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act of 2003 established the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), a multidisciplinary law enforcement agency. 353. NAPTIP investigates and prosecutes offences involving trafficking in persons, counsels victims, and runs public awareness and research programmes. It has instituted such novel approaches to the criminal justice system as the grass-roots establishment of zonal offices, joint investigative mechanisms with the police, immigration and customs services, victim care assistance and protection, and a national monitoring centre. Nigeria is rated as being one of the two countries with the best institutional practices for combating trafficking in persons globally. 354. However, from 2004 to the present, despite the magnitude of the problem, NAPTIP has successfully prosecuted only 13 cases, while 52 are pending in the courts. This is attributed to procedural requirements relating to the conduct of investigations across international borders, and to the secrecy surrounding the practice. In addition, inadequate funds and capacity gaps in research, investigation and rehabilitation services, as well as laws, have been noted. Culture and the rights of women 355. Culture and the interpretation of culture were identified by several stakeholders as playing a large role in the subordination of women in 123