GENERATION EQUALITY AGAINST RAPE | #Stoprapingwomen

UNICEF reported in 2015 that one in four girls and one in ten boys in Nigeria had experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. According to a survey by Positive Action for Treatment Access, over 31.4 per cent of girls there said that their first sexual encounter had been raped or forced sex of some kind. Read more

Rape is not sex.
Rape is an act of intimidation where the rapist exerts power and control over another person without consent. Rape is a growing epidemic in Nigeria with statistics showing that 1 in 4 females have been either sexually assaulted, harassed or raped. The victims and survivors of rape could be anyone: women, men, girls, boys, transpeople, indigenous people, or the elderly to name a few.

Examples of most recent cases in Nigeria.

Uwa is a 22years old Nigerian student who was raped and killed with a Fire extinguisher in her local Church. #JusticeforUwa Read More

A 21-year-old student filed a rape report at the Enugu State Police Area Command on January 27, 2020, after resisting pressure from the police to withdraw the complaint and settle the case outside of the criminal justice system.  Read More

Barakat is a 19year-old Nigerian student rapped and stabbed to death in parents house in Ibadan #JusticeforBarakat Read More

Just to mention a few ...

DEMANDS
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1) BETTER LAWS
At the moment the laws on rape do not cover marital rape (the Penal Code only criminalizes the act of violence or intimidation involved in the rape, and not the rape itself).

The definition of rape must be also be expanded so that legally, men and boys can be acknowledged as survivors of rape, and by doing so demand justice for the crime committed against them.

2) AWARENESS ON CONSENT
In a recent survey, approximately 36% of male respondents correctly noted that consent must be verbally given and respected. Consent can also be retracted at any time. The best practice in regards to consent is always ASK, ASK and ASK - each and every time.

3) EXPANDING LAWS ON RAPE
The government must specifically recognize that date rape is a unique subset of rape where consent is blurred and often girls are forced or coerced into having sex. There must be strong laws to prevent boyfriends or girlfriends from taking advantage of the relationship to force their partners into sex.

4) BETTER CARE AND ACCESS FOR SURVIVORS
There is a need to create or reinstate reform centres to ensure that all survivors receive equal attention, equal care and equal protection under the law.