For a while, the issues of violence against women in all forms have been receiving global attention; in 1979, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and in 1994, it also created the post of a Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women. But in spite of these efforts, it seems little has been done in terms of global commitment to tackling sexual violence.
Reports states that all over the world, sexual assault and exploitation frequently occurs in places that are supposed to be safe. Yet, there aren’t adequate records of events because despite the devastating effect of abuse, there is a culture of silence around the issue.
Victims keep such occurrences to themselves and even when they want to speak out, their family members and friends discourage them for various reasons, which includes stigma, shame, victimization and fear, among others, making it easy for perpetrators to get away and continue the act.
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The silence has made it easy for perpetrators to blackmail their victims emotionally and stop them from speaking about their experience because often, they are met with disbelief and many even accuse them of inviting abuses.
There are many reasons that force people into silence; many victims lack the services and support systems to encourage them to speak out and also take care of them. Often, people that are supposed to help victims especially in issues of rape further assault them by asking what they wore or why they walked alone or went into a room alone with a man.
They make victims feel guilty and stigmatise them, this consequently makes victims and their families keep the issue hidden, they find it easy to keep quiet and live in trauma than speak and be made to face scorn and ridicule.
In some societies like Africa, socio-cultural and religious norms also come into play as victims are brought up with the belief they are responsible for what happened to them by being bad in one way or the other and that revealing a history of sexual violence will undermine their chances of marriage.
A major aspect is that implementing laws against abuse is difficult in many societies because enforcement agencies put culture and norms above the law. To end gender-based violence we need to break the culture of silence at all levels; there is a need for authorities at every level and policy makers to reaffirm and uphold their commitments to CEDAW as well as domesticate the provisions while they also put in place a system that prevents, protect and provides an effective platform for victims of sexual assault.
There is also a need to raise awareness of the extent of damage that continuous silence causes within local communities and to teach communities about the importance of speaking out irrespective of what people say and think because doing so is a step towards eradicating violence.
Ending all forms of gender-based violence should be a priority for everyone because it not only achieving gender equality in Africa but it is the surest way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Over the years, stigma, intimidation and shame have led to a culture of silence that has fuelled gender-based violence to alarming levels and has made the human rights violation a global menace.
Keeping quiet about gender-based violence is not an option if the menace is to be eradicated in the society. In Nigeria, it should be seen as a national crisis considering the rate at which it goes on even as many cases go unreported.