Bukola Afeni
Sexual violence against women is an issue which majority do not like discussing, and is an unchecked phenomenon in Nigeria, Africa, and the world at large.
Amina Usman ( not real name) was raped while on her way from fetching water by an unknown person in a remote community in Kwali, Abuja.
” I do not know the perpetrator , I was coming from my normal routine of fetching water for my family , when I was raped very early in the morning , Aminat told our Correspondent.
” The man forced himself on me, while I lay helplessly , I cried but no one was available to help me on that fateful day in April. My life has not been the same and have faced serious stigmatization from my friends and family”, she added. The 14 years old teenager added that girls and women should not be blamed whenever they experience sexual violence but rather should be offered the right support and care.
As a result of the traumatic experience , Aminat had experienced ” Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is a mental health issue. She gets anxious and feels sad whenever she remembers the experience.
Aminat is one out of several girls and women who have experienced sexual violence in life.
As part of measures of reducing the instances of sexual violence in the country, there is need for government all levels to ensure that girls and women who have experienced sexual violence are given constant support and care to erase the traumatic issues.
KASA initiated a survey report which is meant to demand for strengthened prevention and response mechanisms on sexual violence in Nigeria.
The KASA Initiative is a three-year project by AWDF in collaboration with Ford Foundation West Africa and Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) that seeks to scale up interventions to address and reduce sexual violence and its deep-rooted drivers across West Africa, specifically in Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal. AWDF has an ambitious agenda to leverage the growing focus on sexual violence to initiate and support a holistic, multi-year initiative focused on grant-making, advocacy, campaigning, and collaboration./
The campaign was implemented by White Ribbon Alliance Kenya in three countries, (Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal) with funding from the African Women Development Fund.
The group utilized an approach which is meant to ” Ask , Listen and Act ” on the issues of sexual violence to the respondents they interviewed.
The concept the campaign utilized in fashioning the survey report include, asking women, girls and gender diverse people what they want regarding addressing sexual violence.
The second process include listening to the concerns of the respondents and creating ideas for change.
The final step includes acting on what they say, and galvanizing other stakeholders to take actions towards alleviating the needs of the people . The stakeholders involved in the projects highlighted that the survey was undertaken in Enugu, FCT, Kaduna, and Nasarawa State.
While speaking to Journalists during a press briefing , the stakeholders demanded for increased preventive and curative efforts against sexual violence in Nigeria.
Under the Nigerian law, Aminat is meant to be protected and justice should be meted out to the perpetrators.
The Technical Expert for the KASA Campaign project in Nigeria, Christy Asala, said it is critical for people that suffer sexual and gender based violence to be given the necessary support by the family, government, and CSOs in the gender space.
She added that the data that was obtained from the project is a great source of concern, and there is an urgent need for stakeholders to reduce the menace in the society.
“ We engaged over 5,000 women, girls and vulnerable people across four States in Nigeria suffering from sexual violence. The data that we observed from the survey is a source of concern because the numbers are enormous and during the listening session, the respondents were able to share from their experiences, what happened to them, or a relative that has been sexually abused”.
” In the course of the survey, we had lot of elders coming out to speak up because at that point they had nothing to lose. The perpetrator can tell them, “If you talk I will kill you, I will harm you, but when you bring them to a safe space they begin to talk, so there is a need for a peaceful environment for them to open up to you”, she noted.
Asala disclosed that during a survey across the four states, women, girls and vulnerable individuals were asked what they wanted and how they would address sexual violence.
“Among the 5,426 respondents, about 47% disclosed that they had experienced sexual violence. Further analysis of age-specific data brought to light varying prevalence rates. Those above 60 years reported a 61% incidence, while respondents aged 21-30, 31-40, and 41-50 faced a shared rate of 51%. Respondents aged 51-60 encountered a 49% Prevalence, and individuals aged 10-20 revealed a troubling 39% exposure to sexual violence,” she said.
Research Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Charles Jang , from COGNITO, said 61% of the respondents are above age 60. While 39% of respondents are from age 10-20.
He added that less data from ages 10-20 is a result of a lack of knowledge of sexual violence and people being afraid due to the environment.
“We need to improve the magnitude of the result at the state level. A whole lot of people are trying to break the culture of silence, but at the point where they will come and report, the procedure is not followed till the end. It is either the Ministry of Justice is not meeting up or the police force is defaulting “, he said.
Some of the respondents suggested that to have a safe and free community, preventive measures must be put in place, which include: “sex education in schools, church, mosque and the society, creating awareness and sensitization, parental guidance and empowerment, dressing and behavior, empowerment and job opportunities and community involvement”.
From the survey report, curative methods of ending sexual based violence, punishment for perpetrators scored 1820, law enforcement scored 430, reporting law and justice scored 406. It denotes that great attention should be placed on punishment.
Based on the findings, the stakeholders is therefore seeking and demanding for increased preventative, curative efforts against sexual violence in Nigeria, seeking and a safe environment where survivors can share personal experiences.
