The scariest rise of sexual violence cases in Nigeria

In today’s Nigeria, Sexual violence has become a common phenomenon and a household name and victimizing women become an order of the day.

This barbaric act has been unleashed in Nigeria in different forms which include a coerced sex both in marriage and dating relationships; rape by strangers and organized rape during war especially with the worsening activities of terrorists in northern Nigeria.

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The sexual violence also include demand of sex for jobs or for grades in higher institutions, as well as trafficking of women and girls, female genital mutilation, and forced exposure to pornography among other dehumanizing act.

Statistics show that many young girls in Nigeria became victims of sexual violence and harassment as a result of child labor across the nation and the cases are still in the hike.

The victims of sexual violence such as rape and child abuse experience serious physical and psychological consequences ranging from unwanted pregnancy, rape trauma syndrome, social phobias, sexual dysfunction, sexual transmitted disease, stigmatization and ostracization by family and others especially when it comes to marriage.

Also, severe traumatic tendencies which on some occasion lead to suicidal decisions by the victim could arise.

To this end, what government and civil society organizations have been advocating for years are not good enough.

There must be a collective action against this barbarism and inhuman practices. It’s a collective duty of all and sundry in the society to contribute in curbing this menace.

And with a great deal of determination to institute a capital punishment against the perpetrators of this devilish act from our government, the rising cases of the sexual abuse will reduce drastically.

The government must also initiate and support services and policies that enhance children’s development, health and safety. We must advocate for policies and programs to help meet the basic needs of children and families to help parents and stop being forced by abject poverty to send their children to cities for exploitation.

Non Governmental Organizations advocating for the stoppage of sexual violence in Nigeria must continue to create a robust awareness of the unacceptability of sexual abuse among the members of the general public.

All adults need to know that sexual abuse is a crime that often causes great damages which could end the life of a victim in its entirety.

The relevant authorities must continue to educate the general public on the need to understand the hue of the perpetrators.

Conclusively, I vehemently believe that with the rising cases of sexual violence in the country, every hour is a scariest one but with our collective action, it could be stop. When we all come together, we can make it happen.

Amina Bukar Dauda writes from BUK, Kano.