Oxfam Nigeria, an international non-governmental organisation that works to influence policy change in favour of the poor and most vulnerable, has called on relevant security agencies to arrest and prosecute all rapists and perpetrators of gender-based violence in Nigeria.
The NGO in a statement Monday in Abuja said authorities must ensure that perpetrators of this evil face the full wrath of the law to deter all other possible perpetrators of rape.
The organisation said the gendered power dynamics and inequalities in Nigerian society are highly evident in the particular risk of gender-based violence that women and girls face.
He stated that widespread harmful traditional practices exist, including widow abuse, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
“It is estimated that 27% of women aged 15 to 49 years have undergone some form of FGM/C. Domestic and sexual violence are of particular concern, with particular regional characteristics- 30% of Nigerian women and girls (age 15-49 years) have experienced some form of physical and/or sexual violence, with higher rates in the south-south zone (52%).
“Single women (divorced, separated or widowed) experience higher risk across all zones (44%).The Nigerian multiple indicator cluster report (MICS) of 2011, revealed that 46% of Nigerian women believe that a husband has a right to hit or beat them for at least one reason.”
It further opined that violence against women and girls (VAWG) is rooted in unequal power relations that are further reinforced by social and gender norms that normalise and justify VAWG, including rape.
“The increasing incidents of rape against women and girls speak to underlying social norms that make it acceptable for men to feel entitled to women’s bodies without their consent.”
It said COVID-19 has increased the risk of gender-based violence, particularly, domestic violence and this is notable in the recent incidences of gender based violence across the country, since the lock down and restricted movement came into force in Nigeria.
“The Nigerian police recently reported arresting a man after he raped 40 people in Kano state over a period of a year. A mother in the northern town of Dangora, a small town of about 85 kilometres south-west of Kano city, making it difficult for police to access, reported that a man was caught in her children’s bedroom. The man ran away but neighbours chased and caught him and he was arrested Tuesday, the 9th of June by the Nigerian Police Force.
“The police say the spate of rapes in Kano State included an attack on an 80-year-old and children as young as 10- year-old. The Police also stated that there has been a recent wave of rape and killing of women in Nigeria, which have led to a national outcry, with thousands signing a petition and using the hashtag #WeAreTired.
“We stand in solidarity with all fellow Nigerians, likeminded groups and institutions to condemn the incessant incidences of gender based violence, including sexual violence.”
