CASES of child sexual abuse and defilement of underage and teenage girls in schools and neighbourhoods are on the rise. The story of the 16-year-old JSS III student of Day Secondary School, Tunga, Minna, Niger State, who was allegedly impregnated by a vice principal, Muhammad Muhammed Kuyizhi, generated public outcry from different quarters.
The wife of the president, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, took personal interest in the matter. She called on relevant authorities to ensure that justice was done.
Hajiya Aisha contacted the wife of Niger State governor, Dr. Amina Sani Bello, to take interest in the case. Chief Press Secretary to the governor’s wife, Aisha Wakaso, hinted that the Child Rights Agency was also monitoring to ensure that due diligence was done.
Just recently, the Emir of Bauchi, Alhaji Rilwanu Suleman Adamu, called on the state government to separate boys and girls in schools to ensure morality and preserve the future of children.
I must assert that this is just one among hundreds of cases of rapes against underage female citizens.
Many girls die from such wicked acts unnoticed. Unwanted pregnancies and abandoned newborn babies from these heinous and inhuman activities are many.
Sexual abuse, researchers say, is the misuse or wrong use of sexuality, very intimate body contact or actual sexual intercourse with a child. It also alludes to the use of words suggestive of intention to engage in any form of sexual activity or practice.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that at least one in five of world’s female population has been physically or sexually abused.
The threat is increasing among girl children who often have faced problems of gender inequality in addition to the usual problems of unguarded childhood and adolescence manifested in child labour and street hawking.
Street hawking is a common form of child labour in developing countries and female children are mostly victims. According to research, the child on the street is exposed to malnutrition, respiratory tract infection, mental illness and violence including sexual exploitation by men.
It is widely believed that men prefer young girls as sexual partners because they assume they are sexually inexperienced. Hence, they are less likely to be infected with sexually transmitted diseases (STD).
Sexual abuse among female street hawkers/vendors in Nigeria is another source of worry. A research by the African Journal of Reproductive Health on women’s health and action research centre showed that street hawking exposes young girls to all forms of hazards, including sexual abuse.
Worrisomely, there was low awareness of the twin risks of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among the respondents.
Furthermore, there has been deliberate discrimination against the girl child especially as regards education with the wrong belief that their marriage deprives the parents and family of such investment.
In order not to waste limited resources and to make the girl more relevant to her family, she is given minimal education and the result is low aspiration and limited career and employment opportunities.
There are also stress related problems when some of these girls are given to rich families as house maids or sent into street hawking.
Muhammad Ajah
mobahawwah@yahoo.co.uk.
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