A lockdown situation
which has been extended would typically put sexual predators within close
proximity of vulnerable girls and infants. Therefore, parents/guardians should
make sure they protect their infants and girls from these sexual perverts by
monitoring of the movement of wards, and reporting suspicious behaviours.
The world is upside
down right now as a result of the invasive nature of Coronavirus pandemic
(COVID-19). The disruption brought by the global disease outbreak on the
socio-cultural and economic lives of people, is as never witnessed for a long
time and could only be comparable to the destructive impacts of the slave trade
era, colonial period, great depression and the two world-wars. Unfortunately,
even as the world is in great pains generally speaking, the truth however, is
that the most vulnerable groups and individuals like the elderly, women and
children suffers the most.
There is no doubt
that the coronavirus pandemic has endangered humanity, brought misfortune and
enormous challenges to different segments of our society including: World
leaders, Policy-makers, religious organisations, business owners, and civil
society groups but special attention should be given to the worsening
conditions of persons living with disabilities as well as other vulnerable
individuals like women and girls.
Already, in Nigeria
the pain of the COVID-19 lockdown imposed by both the federal and state
governments is excruciating in both economic and social terms with casualties
mounting with specific reference to women and girls who have suffered various
degrees of sexual and gender-based violence. The statistics of women and girls
being raped and abused on daily basis from different parts of the country are
scary but being suppressed by the fact that the world is busy with efforts on
how to contain the pandemic. But the sad reality is that if no action is taken
to stem this tide more Nigerian women and girls may die from the pangs of
hunger and SGBV than from the Coronavirus itself.
Consequently, the
COVID-19 lockdown with its corrosive effects on lifestyle and the attendant
increase on sexual and gender-based violence has predisposed vulnerable women
and girls to live with perpetrators of gender-based violence. Also, due to
cultural barriers, socialization and gender-based inequalities which places the
female gender in subordinate position to the male, women and girls are more
vulnerable to SGBV. This peculiar time occasioned by COVID-19 has even placed
women in more vulnerable situation than ever, as some are now forced to stay
with their abusers for longer periods in compliance with the lockdown measures.
It follows with the recent findings that more women and girls are now more at
risk across the country as a result of an upsurge in SGBV and rise in the level
of criminality within this period.
To this end, stakeholders
and gender-focused CSOs as well as family support units of relevant agencies
are tracking all these disturbing incidents in order to present gender
perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic for effective response by the
authorities. They include: CLEEN Foundation, FIDA and Gender-Desk officers of
the Nigeria Police Force working closely with credible civil society
organisations like the Mirabel Centre, Project Alert on Violence against Women,
Gender Relevance Initiative Promotion, Proactive Gender Initiative, Baobab
Rights, and Braveheart Initiative among others, for the overall objective of
creating safe ways for victims to seek support without endangering their lives.
Reported rise in
SGBV and efforts by stakeholders
Recently, there was
an unconfirmed video of a young man harassing and intimidating a supposed wife
in the streets of Lagos for sexual gratification. Despite the best efforts of
the woman to gain some respite by running out to the streets seeking for urgent
intervention from either neighbours or passers-by, she was still disappointed
and bundled helplessly inside the house to be continuously raped by her
'husband'. As hilarious as that video in circulation was to some people, it
gave a vivid but grim picture of what great number of women and girls are going
through in the hands of their abusers across the country. If such assault on a
woman could happen in the full glare of the public with no effort to even
rescue her from the sexual predator that claimed to be her husband, you can imagine
what is happening behind the scene in most homes and squatters in Nigeria.
It will therefore be
a crying shame if women and girls, who make up significant population of
Nigeria, are subjected to more traumas from the government imposed COVID-19
lockdown through rape and other forms of SGBV without any attempt to stop the
scourge.
Fortunately some
credible organisations, agencies and concerned stakeholders are tracking
incidents and reports of SGBV within this period with one being the case of
alleged rape of an infant somewhere in Lagos state by a 34-year old man. Also, GRIP which is a non-governmental
organization based in Ekiti state have responded to 54 cases of SGBV across
Nigeria during this lockdown period, including a case of a woman who was at the
verge of taking her life and that of her children due to frustration from
domestic violence.
In the same vein,
FIDA Nigeria has published online directory of SGBV hotlines in its 32 branches
across the country and that of its partners to respond to these cases during
the lockdown and beyond. Similar
measures were taken by CLEEN Foundation, which recently launched a virtual
public safety and security support project to address rights-based approach and
misconduct by security operatives during the lockdown. Also, the National Human
Rights Commission and other governmental and non-governmental organizations
have launched various projects in response to human rights violations,
including SGBV during this period of lockdown.
Efforts by the
Nigeria Police Force
The Nigerian Police
also acknowledged that in the past two weeks of compulsory isolation, there has
been an increase in alleged cases of rape of infants, young girls and women
across the country. To this end, the Force has marshalled out some responses
that includes policing and surveillance of communities, places of worship,
markets, shops and other areas of coverage.
In addition,
patrolling of the neighbourhoods, streets, major-roads and other strategic
areas in compliance with the enforcement of government's directive on the
COVID-19 lockdown, is an added advantage for swift response to SGBV cases. The
Police have also rolled out phone numbers of Assistant Inspectors Generals of
Police, commissioners of police, divisional police officers and public relation
officers across the different state police commands, encouraging citizens to
report various human rights violations including sexual and gender-based
violence. And citizens and human rights organizations have also responded by
being proactive as well as innovative in leveraging on technology to bring
various SGBV cases to the attention of the police and credible CSOs including
those working at the grassroots.
Nevertheless, there
are more expectations from the gender unit of the Police to ensure greater
protection of women and girls in light of the surge in SGBV incidences
especially during this lockdown. This can be done through the following
strategies: Embarking on aggressive sensitization programs on radios, TVs and
social media platforms to educate citizens on the need to stop SGBV and where
to get help in case of its occurrence.
The police could
also designate, replicate and strengthen Gender Desks/Family Support Units in
all police divisions across Nigeria; ensure that the Gender Desks/Family
Support Units have enough logistics and trained personnel to man the desks;
create a toll -free hotlines that are accessible to vulnerable persons to
report SGBV; provide standby functional operational vehicles to respond to
distress calls of SGBV; strengthen collaborations with stakeholders for
referrals and linkages on SGBV, especially with organizations providing health
care and shelters where necessary.
Key issues affecting
effective response to SGBV cases during lockdown
There are some key
issues arising within the period of the lockdown that limits the effectiveness
of efforts to stem the scourge of SGBV in Nigeria. Some of these limitations
are: cultural barriers as issues affecting women are still treated with levity;
endemic silence by survivors/victims; stigmatisation of survivors/victims;
attitude of some police officers, security agents and stakeholders responding
to SGBV.
There are also the
nagging issues of low response of the justice system; restriction of movement
occasioned by the COVID-19 Lockdown, which is hindering investigation and
preservation of evidence. Ignorance is a big challenge as some women and girls
are with little or no knowledge on how to access justice when they face
violations. Some women are illiterate and even when they have phone cannot read
and write, and as such cannot leverage on technology to protect their rights.
Another barrier is poverty and joblessness--some women are poor and unable to
pursue justice to a logical conclusion--and some cannot afford credits on their
phones to make calls in the event of SGBV.
Way forward:
Priorities for stakeholders
Next two weeks of
COVID-19 lockdown could raise serious safety and security challenges
particularly in urban Nigeria. There are already indications of unrest in Lagos
and Ogun states as a result of the rising cases of criminalities and SGBV.
Against this
backdrop, governments should ramp up palliatives fast, because a hungry man is
an angry man. They should also enforce lockdown with empathy and battle
opportunistic criminals firmly including perpetrators of SGBV. This could also
be done through aggressive sensitisation programs on radio, TV, print and new
media so as to educate vulnerable women and girls on the dangers of sexual and
gender-based violence.
In the same vein,
development partners should identify areas of interest for necessary interventions
and urgent financial support in line with the efforts of UN, which has launched
a major humanitarian response plan to mitigate COVID-19’s impact on the world’s
most vulnerable groups/communities. This should be done with the understanding
of the human dimension of the tragedy, which highlighted the dire conditions of
people living in places already affected by conflict and crisis. More so, it is
important to recognize that women and girls are both uniquely impacted and
critical to mitigation strategies during this humanitarian crisis.
More importantly,
whatever mitigating measures that are being adopted it would be apt to note
that the socio -cultural belief system that have hedged the victims of SGBV is
a contributory factor affecting positive responses. The culture of not speaking
out due to fear of the unknown, endemic secrecy, inability for victims to have
contacts of police within their locations during this period, strong family
support system, the non-domestication of the VAPP Act are great contributing
factors, but even in states that have domesticated the VAPP Act a lot of
victims are unaware of their protective rights under these laws.
Advice for parents
and guardians
A lockdown situation
which has been extended would typically put sexual predators within close
proximity of vulnerable girls and infants. Therefore, parents/guardians should
make sure they protect their infants and girls from these sexual perverts by
monitoring of the movement of wards, and reporting suspicious behaviours. You
should not entrust your child/infant into the hands of supposed friends or
neighbours. Equally important is sex education, enlightenment on personal
rights, zero tolerance for any form of sexual exploitation by relatives.
Specifically, close
monitoring of children by parents, and opening all communication channels with
their children. Parents should love and befriend their children as this is a
time for family bonding where parents should get to know their children and
wards better; provision of basic necessities, especially food to prevent
children from being preyed upon in their quest to get these necessities. Also
crucial is spiritual development that by engaging them in studying religious
books and pray together. Through family recreational activities; parents should
teach their children sex-education and how to recognize a potential violator;
teach children basic self-defence skills and the ability to speak up always
including when violated. Also teach children not to wait till violence have occurred
before speaking up, and all attempted violence must be reported
immediately. They should learn how to
trust and respect their instincts and anybody they are not comfortable with
must be avoided.
Parting shot for the
victims
Some studies have
shown that violence against women increase during the lockdown period due to an
escalation of tensions in the home. The following are recommended for victims
of such violence, given that they are "locked down" and cannot easily
escape their attackers. They should
ensure their phones are charged and there is credit always for emergency calls;
have some family and friends’ numbers on speed dial; maintain peace in the face
of provocation; have numbers of human rights organizations and security agents
saved in codes and on speed dial.
More importantly,
victims should not wait till the violence happen before speaking up, seek
alternative shelter if necessary; and avoid unhealthy misunderstanding with
spouses, family members and neighbours. Women should look out for each other,
be your sister’s keeper. Life is
sacrosanct; it is important that women speak up and seek help on time.
Note that wisdom is
profitable to direct at this time; women should give abusers a bit of space
even in the midst of observing the lockdown. Women should avoid unnecessary
demands and be mindful of family finances as they could be trigger factors.
Finally, women and girls are encouraged to use technology for escalation of
complaints as well as for distress calls to relevant authorities.
Teresa Chigozirim
Okoro heads the Public Safety & Security Department at the CLEEN Foundation
and can be reached through chigozirim.odinkalu@gmail.com
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