Rape: When does it end?

NIGERIAN women live in fear and apprehension every day of their lives. At a young age, girls are taught to cover up our seductive parts of the body and subjected to a regimented life so as not become a victim of rape but the perpetrators defied all measures known to man. “Cover up, do not show skin or dress ‘provocatively’ so that you don’t lure the men” but the baby girl who can’t walk, the hijabi and the elderly woman who can barely stand up straight got raped too. Nowhere is safe. Not your home, classroom, workplace, market, church or the mosque. To visit your male friends is not safe. No time of the day is safe- not daytime, not nighttime. The recent cases of 22-year-old Uwa who was raped and murdered in church and 12-year-old Hijab dressed Barakat who was gang-raped, are evidential proofs that rapists are no respecter of age, dressing, place, time or day. No woman is safe. Hashtags after hashtags, social media campaigns after the other, protests after protests and victim after victim, all these couldn’t end rape.

Our society has a glorified rape culture and it is inherent in every aspect of our lives. From boys trying to “tap current” in secondary schools, to university boys drugging drinks of their female counterparts, to market men inappropriately touching female shoppers and comedians making distasteful skits and jokes about sexual harassment and rape. The untold health and emotional implications of rape do not bother the rapists. The study by Kilpatrick “the aftermath of rape: recent empirical findings” found that 31 per cent of rape victims develop PTSD and 45 per cent of rape victims become moderately or severely depressed and suicidal. These victims experience sleeping disorders, eating disorders, dissociation, panic attacks, substance abuse- when does it end? While there is no consensus data on the rape cases in Nigeria, UNICEF reported in 2015 that 1 in 4 girls in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18.

According to the UN, approximately 15 million adolescent girls (aged 15 to 19) worldwide have experienced forced sex (forced sexual intercourse or other sexual acts) at some point in their life.  In Nigeria, victims of rape and sexual assault do not report their cases due to the following reasons: fear of police extortion and a lack of trust in the judicial process, inadequate support systems, shame,  fear or risk of retaliation, fear or risk of being blamed, fear or risk of not being believed, fear or risk of being mistreated and/or socially ostracised. Victims are blamed for their dressing, being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or accused of making up claims of rape by the police. When does it end?

And because most victims are not reporting their rape cases, they are not getting the necessary medical attention to prevent diseases and unwanted pregnancies. In Nigeria and everywhere around the world, rape cases are severely underreported. In 2017, the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics reported that 2,279 cases of rape and indecent assault were reported and 0 convictions were reported by the police.  In the US according to the National Crime Victimization Survey conducted by the Justice Department, out of every 1000 cases of sexual assault, only 230 (23 per cent) are reported to the police. In the United Kingdom, official statistics on sexual violence released by the Ministry of Justice, Office for National Statistics, and Home Office revealed that only about 15% of people who experience sexual assault report to the police. About 0.7% of rapes and attempted rapes end with a felony conviction for the perpetrator.

We all have a role to play in the fight against sexual abuse and rape of women in our society. We must provide a safe space for victims to be able to speak up and report their rapists and abusers. We must hold our friends and brothers accountable, we must stand and speak up against injustice. We must continue to create awareness and educate our people about the evil and gross human rights violation that is rape. We must continue to talk about all the preventive measures and self-defense tactics for women until there are decisive domestic laws on violence against women. Until we start seeing perpetrators in handcuffs and behind bars, nothing will change.  We need our politicians, leaders, and lawmakers to be on our side. We need to see policies and laws against sexual harassment, rape and abuse strengthened and put into effect. The Nigeria police need to be adequately empowered in order to be able to protect and defend our people.

As long as women’s rights and freedom remain unaddressed, nothing will change. Until our justice system stands up in the defense and protection of our girls and women, Nigerian women will continue to live in fear and apprehension.

• Omeokachie writes in via [email protected]

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Northern Elders Forum Mere Irritant, Featherweight ― Presidency
The presidency on Sunday described the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) as a mere irritant and a featherweight following the position the group took on the worsening insecurity in the north. The presidency was reacting to a statement Sunday signed by the group’s convener, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, which alleged that the insecurity… Read full story

COVID-19: NCDC Confirms 403 New Cases, Total Now 16,085
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has confirmed 403 new cases of COVID-19 in the country, bringing the total number to 16,085… Read full story

MONDAY LINES: Why Black Lives Cannot Matter
The white world has, in recent weeks, been assisting in reevaluating black lives. They’ve joined blacks to shout ‘Black Lives Matter’ as the world agonises over deadly racism abroad. But how much of value do the blacks place on their own lives, especially in Africa? Is it the destiny of the black man to suffer and be pitied from eternity… Read full story

Insecurity: North Set For Protest On Tuesday
Disturbed by the incessant killings in the North, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has concluded arrangements to stage a protest on Tuesday. This was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday and signed by the spokesman of the group, Abdulazeez Suleiman… Read full story

Wike Hosts Obaseki In Closed-Door Meeting
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike on Sunday hosted his embattled Edo State counterpart, Godwin Obaseki in a secret meeting at the Government House Port Harcourt. No details were revealed about deliberations between the two governors from the South-South region of the country, but it must not be unconnected… Read full story

Reconsider Decision On SON, NAFDAC’s Ban From Nation’s Ports, Land Borders —House Of Reps Urges FG
The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to reconsider its decision to disallow the nation’s regulatory agencies, Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), from operating at the nation’s ports and land borders… Read full story

Post COVID-19 Economy: Considering Unclaimed Monies In Banks As Temporary Source Of Revenue
Although the guideline released by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) with effect from October 7, 2015 for management of dormant and inactive accounts has been in operation, Deposit Money… Read full story

Subsidy Removal: We Won’t Be Used As Bait To Impose New Price Regime —Wabba
We have clearly made the point because the information we have is that last week after they paid the so-called arrears of subsidy, which some newspapers captured as almost N168 billion, they also gave the information that marketer would now start the importation of refined products. The marketers, on the other hand… Read full story

Oshiomhole Must Be Stopped From Gifting Edo To Opposition —APC Publicity Secretary
There is really no major crisis in the party. We just have a man at the helm of affairs at the national level that is power drunk and irrational in his thinking. I say this with every sense of respect to his position. We are very mindful of the health and wellbeing of our people, knowing that the office of the governor is not worth the… Read full story

FG Working To Use Plasma From Recovered COVID-19 Patients’ Blood For Treatment
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, on Sunday said the Federal Government is working on a research which aims to use plasma from the blood of recovered coronavirus (COVID-19) patients to treat other infected persons. Tribune Online reports that Ehanire said this while answering questions from journalists in Abuja on… Read full story

Leadership Bytes From Edo
When Adams Oshiomole was jumping up and down campaigning for Godwin Obaseki in 2016 to succeed him as governor in Edo State, no one could have imagined that the relationship between him and his protégé would be headed south shortly thereafter. Obaseki was Chairman of the Edo State Economic and Strategy… Read full story

EDITORIAL: UN’s Dire Forecast On Job Losses
LAST week, in a widely circulated official statement, Elisabeth Byers, Senior Spokesperson of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), issued a grim forecast for the Nigerian labour market that the Federal Government and authorities at various levels will do well to take to heart. Pointing to relevant UN data… Read full story

LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT: Power Of Quotes
Richard Branson abandoned schooling to become an entrepreneur in 1966. He started with Student Magazine, which he had hoped would become his generation’s voice. Despite the general acceptance of the magazine, it didn’t make as much money as he had envisaged. Consequently, the budding entrepreneur ran into… Read full story