The Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA)believes it’s time wemake men and boys allies in the fight against rape culture and bringing the concerns of women and girls to the front burner of interventions being made to end rape. There is need for the men to contribute to the development of the society by championing the campaign against sexual violence. Men can play a positive role in preventing men’s violence against women and indeed, without men’s involvement, efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women will be achieved half way. Nkechi Obiagbaoso-Udegbunam, Founder,Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA).
The Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA) isa non-governmental, non-profit women and girls’ right organization that works towards the promotion and protection of human rights, equity and social justice in Nigeria. The organization recently held a webinar with the theme “The Role of Men in Ending Rape Culture” on the 2nd of July 2020 with all-men panelists to proffer strategies for addressing the alarming rate of sexual violence against women and girls. Unfortunately, the corona virus pandemic has deepened existing gender inequalities which expose women and girls to a high risk resulting in cases of defilement and rape.
Studies have shown that rape is one of the oldest crimes in human history and according to Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, Professor of Medical Law and Ethics, Faculty of Law, University of Abuja “Rape and other sexual offences are caused by patriarchy, men seeing women as second class citizens and as sex objects, low self esteem in boys, narcissist attitude and the feeling that women/girls are just there to satisfy their sexual needs, alcohol and drug abuse, psychological posturing of victim blaming, poor appreciation of the effect of rape, lockdown by the government, economic hardship, power element and stealing sexual gratification.” We have seen cases where people try to justify the inhuman act of rape but this justification was rebutted by Fidelis Ogbobe, Lawyer and Security Expert when he stated unequivocally that “Rape cannot be justified. The only thing that causes rape is the rapist himself. The issue of victim blaming to show that women/girls are the causes of what happened to them and are instrument of their violation cannot be justified in any sense of logic. To a large extent, the law enforcement agent is supposed to be blamed for their inability to appreciate that whoever rapes a woman/girl rapes our nation.”
The negative impact of rape on the victim forces both physical and psychological trauma on the victim. It leaves an indelible and permanent scar which might lead to depression, abuse of drugs, inability to negotiate free sex any longer, permanent hatred for men, unwanted pregnancy, spread of infectious diseases, increase in abortion rate, suicidal behaviours, honour killing, victimization of the victim, isolation, disowning of the victim, divorce of victims of rape by their husbands, lose the ability to stand for themselves, loss of self-confidence and appreciation of who they are, and dropping out of school.
Our current laws have adequate punishment for sexual related offences but the problem we have is the issue of enforcement. Unfortunately, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act that largely provide against sexual violence is yet to be domesticated in many states while the Child Rights Act of 2006 is still struggling with domestication at states’ level.
We strongly believe that rape will become a thing of the past if men: play active roles to ensure that our women/girls are being protected; speak out against rape culture; stop seeing women as a sexual instrument, stop victim blaming; train their boys to understand that ‘a woman’s no means no and such decision should be respected at all times; are informed that their strength is not for physical aggression against women but to be used to protect women; engage with traditional rulers at the grassroots, sensitize them on the laws against sexual violence and their punishments; call out leaders that are yet to domesticate VAPP Act and Child Rights Act as their failure to domesticate these laws indirectly encourages rape culture. Men should create awareness on the provisions of the two laws, push for their domestication and implementation in order to save our women/girls from these monsters that take advantage of them and rape them.
If all well-meaning men do more than merely avoid perpetrating the grossest forms of sexual violence; then we will have an equitable and respectful society where women’s bodily autonomy is respected. Men must challenge the violence of other men and they must work to undermine the social and cultural supports for violence against women evident in communities throughout Nigeria said Nkechi Obiagbaoso-Udegbunam, Founder,IWOGRA.
Media Publications
The media publications from this webinar can be accessed at
https://m.guardian.ng/guardian-woman/join-fight-against-rape-women-group-urges-men/
The Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA)believes it’s time wemake men and boys allies in the fight against rape culture and bringing the concerns of women and girls to the front burner of interventions being made to end rape. There is need for the men to contribute to the development of the society by championing the campaign against sexual violence. Men can play a positive role in preventing men’s violence against women and indeed, without men’s involvement, efforts to reduce and prevent violence against women will be achieved half way. Nkechi Obiagbaoso-Udegbunam, Founder,Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA).
The Initiative for Women and Girls Right Advancement (IWOGRA) isa non-governmental, non-profit women and girls’ right organization that works towards the promotion and protection of human rights, equity and social justice in Nigeria. The organization recently held a webinar with the theme “The Role of Men in Ending Rape Culture” on the 2nd of July 2020 with all-men panelists to proffer strategies for addressing the alarming rate of sexual violence against women and girls. Unfortunately, the corona virus pandemic has deepened existing gender inequalities which expose women and girls to a high risk resulting in cases of defilement and rape.
Studies have shown that rape is one of the oldest crimes in human history and according to Prof. Uwakwe Abugu, Professor of Medical Law and Ethics, Faculty of Law, University of Abuja “Rape and other sexual offences are caused by patriarchy, men seeing women as second class citizens and as sex objects, low self esteem in boys, narcissist attitude and the feeling that women/girls are just there to satisfy their sexual needs, alcohol and drug abuse, psychological posturing of victim blaming, poor appreciation of the effect of rape, lockdown by the government, economic hardship, power element and stealing sexual gratification.” We have seen cases where people try to justify the inhuman act of rape but this justification was rebutted by Fidelis Ogbobe, Lawyer and Security Expert when he stated unequivocally that “Rape cannot be justified. The only thing that causes rape is the rapist himself. The issue of victim blaming to show that women/girls are the causes of what happened to them and are instrument of their violation cannot be justified in any sense of logic. To a large extent, the law enforcement agent is supposed to be blamed for their inability to appreciate that whoever rapes a woman/girl rapes our nation.”
The negative impact of rape on the victim forces both physical and psychological trauma on the victim. It leaves an indelible and permanent scar which might lead to depression, abuse of drugs, inability to negotiate free sex any longer, permanent hatred for men, unwanted pregnancy, spread of infectious diseases, increase in abortion rate, suicidal behaviours, honour killing, victimization of the victim, isolation, disowning of the victim, divorce of victims of rape by their husbands, lose the ability to stand for themselves, loss of self-confidence and appreciation of who they are, and dropping out of school.
Our current laws have adequate punishment for sexual related offences but the problem we have is the issue of enforcement. Unfortunately, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) (VAPP) Act that largely provide against sexual violence is yet to be domesticated in many states while the Child Rights Act of 2006 is still struggling with domestication at states’ level.
We strongly believe that rape will become a thing of the past if men: play active roles to ensure that our women/girls are being protected; speak out against rape culture; stop seeing women as a sexual instrument, stop victim blaming; train their boys to understand that ‘a woman’s no means no and such decision should be respected at all times; are informed that their strength is not for physical aggression against women but to be used to protect women; engage with traditional rulers at the grassroots, sensitize them on the laws against sexual violence and their punishments; call out leaders that are yet to domesticate VAPP Act and Child Rights Act as their failure to domesticate these laws indirectly encourages rape culture. Men should create awareness on the provisions of the two laws, push for their domestication and implementation in order to save our women/girls from these monsters that take advantage of them and rape them.
If all well-meaning men do more than merely avoid perpetrating the grossest forms of sexual violence; then we will have an equitable and respectful society where women’s bodily autonomy is respected. Men must challenge the violence of other men and they must work to undermine the social and cultural supports for violence against women evident in communities throughout Nigeria said Nkechi Obiagbaoso-Udegbunam, Founder,IWOGRA.
Media Publications
The media publications from this webinar can be accessed at
https://m.guardian.ng/guardian-woman/join-fight-against-rape-women-group-urges-men/