With the recent explosion of outed rape crimes across the country and especially on social media, all eyes are on the government to see what measures it will take to address this ever-present issue.

Last week, a police officer killed Tina Ezekwe, an innocent 16-year-old girl in Lagos. Her life, dreams, and aspirations were snatched away by those meant to protect them. Just as we are calling for #JusticeForTina, a 22-year-old Uwa was viciously assaulted and brutally raped while studying in a church in Benin, resulting in her death. The perpetrators are still walking freely, plotting their next attack. Farashina, a 12-year-old girl, was raped by 11 men in Jigawa, following a report that a 57-year-old man had taken her to an unknown address. The same week, we lost Barakat, an 18-year-old girl who was raped in her house.

These cases highlight the need to stop teaching women and girls how to avoid getting raped or abused and start focusing on proper prevention programs. This will require a shift from “Don’t get raped” Or “Abstain from sex” to ‘ Don’t rape.’

UNICEF reported in 2015 that one in four women had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18 in Nigeria. This stat is based on reported cases, and given the stigma surrounding sexual abuse as well a general mistrust of the justice system amongst other factors, actual figures are purported to be significantly higher.

While the home is a significant site of socialization for children, the school is an important piece that cannot be ignored or de-prioritized. Asking parents to do all the work is to overburden women once more with care labor and throw them in a guilt complex. Women are blamed for the choices and actions of others. Besides, it is counterproductive to focus on the home front and not also follow up on what they are exposed to in schools. If there is no coherent approach to dismantling violence and rape culture, all other efforts that exist in silos can fall apart or produce no long-term effect. Several NGOs including ours have been providing this type of education to young adults. However, it's time for the government to also step up.

We urge the Department of Education to acknowledge the importance of reforming schools. This should be done through the integration of mandatory violence prevention program into schools’ curriculum in a bid to tackle the issues of sexual violence, domestic (or intimate partner) violence. This should be at all levels of education, from primary school to University. This should also include a broad range of topics, such as gender, violence awareness, bystander intervention, communication skills, conflict management skills, consent, boundaries, bodily autonomy, healthy masculinity, and respectful relationships. Finally, this must reflect in the school‘s policies, practices, and procedures.

The aim is that with the “Whole School Approach”, we, as a nation, are better equipped to negotiate sexual consent, build healthy relationships, and promote positive social attitudes and behavior that prevent sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV)

This doesn’t require any donation. All you need to do is sign and share. Use the hashtag #WholeSchoolsNG. Your messages will be sent directly to all the recipients to whom this petition is addressed.

Together, we can build a safer environment for women and girls. One where we are not raped, forced into compliant sex or beaten. One where we are treated fairly and not with cruelty and so much violence.

A nation can only boast about how free and safe it is when the women and girls are free and safe.