End sexual violence in Nigeria
I am a human rights activist and lawyer who fights for the rights of victims of human rights violations. I have worked with various human rights organizations, apart from my private law practice, I run an NGO; International Empowerment of Virtuous Women. There has been no issue of greater importance to me than the pursuit of preserving the sanity of women and girls.
Sexual violence is an under-reported phenomenon in Nigeria due to the ignorance of the victims, the stigma resulting from the lack of documentation, the general acceptance of the act by society as a normal event, and corruption, so Available data tend to underestimate the true scale of sexual violence. problem. The data on the prevalence of the different forms of violence against women show the statistics of physical and/or sexual violence in a couple in a lifetime: 16%, physical and/or sexual violence in a couple in the last 12 months: 11% , lifetime non-partner sexual violence: 2%, child marriage: 43%, female genital mutilation/cutting: 25%[1].
However, there is a drastic increase in this threat, due to the influence of the media through the visual graphic representation of sexual intercourse or nudity and moral decline in society. Sexual violence takes many forms and contexts in which it occurs. The World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2002 World Report on Violence and Health defined sexual violence as: “any sexual act, attempted sexual act, unwanted sexual comments or advances, or acts to traffic , or otherwise directed, against a person’s sexuality using coercion, by any person, regardless of relationship to the victim, in any setting, including, but not limited to, home and work[2]. Sexual violence is a neglected area in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, making it imperative to promote a coordinated movement against it.
It is said that it is a man’s world, for me it is not just an adage but it is actually so practiced; In law, jurisprudence is still frequently based on “reasonable man standards” that assume male bodies and experiences. It is highly unlikely that a man would feel threatened by another man who is roughly the same size and strength. Women, however, are more likely to be assaulted and killed by an intimate partner, most often a man.
In Nigeria, society prioritizes men’s bodies, experiences, and needs, and women are often neglected and disrespected. Women and girls are viewed as property and are raped at will without any penalty. There is no true respect and value of the sanctity of women and girls, even with the increase in education and the claim of civilization, sexual violence, unlike other crimes, is considered a pre-existing condition -Women and girls suffer disproportionately from these aspects; one cannot even imagine what they are going through as the situation is so pathetic. Sexual violence in Nigeria happens to women of any age; it is an act of violence that is perpetrated by parents, caregivers, acquaintances, employers and strangers, as well as intimate partners.
There is a lot of physical violence, emotional abuse and non-consensual sexual interaction against the sexual integrity of women and girls, it swings both ways in this modern age and it happens daily in Nigeria; female genital mutilation, compulsory inspection of virginity by the father, future husband or teachers, forced prostitution and human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, sexual relations of fathers with their daughters, rape of girls by the opposite sex, teachers, uncles and caretakers, addressing ladies in a sexually inappropriate way, accosting a woman on the way, hitting a woman on sensitive parts of her body in order to greet or woo a woman, these are common problems in our society , men do it with leverage and get away with it. Some have the notion that all women are loose and sex machines or prostitutes while others have the notion that women are babies.
A man cannot have sexual relations with a woman unless she has given her consent. This consent must not be obtained by force, deception, manipulation or misrepresentation. Furthermore, sexual relations between a father and his daughter or a direct blood relationship are not permitted. There is an age limit for girls who can engage sexually, Nigeria’s Sex Offenses Bill stipulates 18 as the age of consent. Therefore, sexual intercourse with a baby or adolescent is not allowed.
It is not uncommon for people’s general awareness to be minimal. In large part, that is a consequence of not being openly discussed.
Other causes of this evil are very poor parenting as a result of moral rectitude, women and mothers are conscious of teaching their children sexual education, mothers threaten their daughters and do not establish a close relationship with their daughter to create a environment for them to relate to what they are going through sexually. Most mothers view their daughters as competition for their husband’s love and focus solely on themselves without taking the time to educate the girl about her sexuality. Educating a child is the responsibility of both parents; father and mother, most parents neglect their responsibility to train their children to be responsible. In a family where the father does not respect his wife, dominates her, assaults her and sexually abuses her, that son carries that mentality to society in her relationship with the female people and the wife later on. Innocent girls who are morally taught to obey their father and not properly guided to know that their parents are not meant to sexually abuse them.
Lack of institutional support from the police and judicial system, general tolerance of sexual violence within the community, weak community sanctions against sexual perpetrators, fear of being stigmatized, insulted and abandoned by society, and ignorance of the availability of help are part of the causes. .
When women and girls are sexually oppressed, businesses and government agencies suffer, through employee absences, security costs, prosecution of suspected perpetrators, and increased poverty due to a reduced workforce. of citizens who cannot work at their maximum capacity. It also affects them psychologically, not being able to trust the opposite sex, fear of marriage or a relationship, reduces their self-confidence (most feel they are worthless or because of the social stigma imposed on them).
In addition, sexual violence has a profound short- or long-term impact on physical and mental health, such as increased risk of sexual and reproductive health problems, increased risk of suicide or HIV infection, murder, forced abortion.
In addition, to eradicate sexual violence, mothers must properly educate their women about sex, pious morality and observe them properly, churches, mosques must teach girls about incest and sexual relations with direct blood relatives, schools need to educate girls on this issue and even male teachers. must be reviewed. There must also be express legislation against sexual violence, whatever its form.
The mindset of men in Nigeria needs to change and for this the government needs to take a clear stand against it. The perpetrator of this evil must be stopped, prosecuted and use a public example to warn others. It is so funny that when there is a situation of sexual violence and a police officer is informed, even sides with the perpetrators or dismisses the issue, the Nigerian police force needs to orient itself properly.
Women and girls must no longer tolerate sexual violence in any of its forms, but oppose it. The complaint must be made by the victims in a timely manner at the police station and at the nearest human rights NGO for prosecution and compliance with their rights.
Violence against women and girls is often fueled by negative constructions of masculinity and masculinity, leading men to believe that they must have certain qualities and exhibit superior behavior to women. For example, physical strength and sexual prowess can be used as indicators of whether or not someone is a “real man.”
Most men do not knowingly perpetrate violence against women and girls. The main problem is that most men who don’t engage in the act remain silent and don’t hold other men accountable, let alone discourage their language and behavior, therefore for men of all ages, facilitating or initiate dialogue between them. on violence against women and girls to change the mindset and actions of boys and young men towards their female counterparts.
It also requires redefining traditional representations of masculinity that run counter to women’s interests and rights, and embracing recognition of women’s rights. Women and girls must also be able to share their truths as survivors of targeted violence inflicted on them because of their gender. Real fears about social stigma and isolation can only be overcome through widespread recognition that violence against women and girls is tragically normalized. By providing GBV survivors with emotional affirmation and non-judgmental support, we allow their offenders to operate freely and with impunity.
Success in addressing violence against women and girls must be seen as a long-term intergenerational effort. It is about transforming cultures and societies that hold beliefs and systems that are harmful to women and girls, as well as other vulnerable populations.
[1] UN Women, Global Database on Violence Against Women http://www.evaw-global-database.unwomen.org/en/countries/africa/nigeria
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violencia_sexual