The Fatherless and Motherless Children Aid Organization(FACADO) has called on relevant government agencies,and stakeholders to join hands for more actions to fight against incessant rape cases and gender based violence in Nigeria.
The Founder and Director of
FACADO orphanage home, Amb. Ngozi-Anih Grace George,made this call at a press conference organized by the organization in New-karu, Karu,Nasarawa state,on Thursday 9th July 2020.
George who described rape as a global pandemic, reiterated her organization commitment towards campaigns against rape, incest and gender based violence in Nigeria.
Read the statement in full:
I make this call today to lend my voice to other advocates against rape and incest. This is a global pandemic .
I am a strong advocate against rape, incest and gender based violence.
What is rape?
Rape is when a person forces another person to have sex against his or her will while incest is human sexual activity between family members or close relatives.
It’s so sad and disheartening what the girl child experiences in life especially in this period.
Where is a safe home for a girl child?
Girls are raped, and abused by even close relatives.
An adage in my place says if you are pursued on the road, you run to your home, But if you are pursued from home, where do you run to?
Where is a safe home for a girl child?
Rape is proven to be a violent crime.
In this issue of rape, little boys are not left out. Some little boys are raped or lured into sexual activities by older females around them. The perpetrators may be domestic staff, neighbors, or even relatives and these boys never knew what is being done to them until they get older
CAUSES
Some of the causes of rape and incest are emotional imbalance, depression, lack of self control, Lack of sex education, lack of confidence, effect of alcoholism, high cases of divorce and leaving the girl-child in her father’s care. The economic situation in the country also makes many parents and guardians send their young female wards out for hawking, thereby exposing them to hazards including rape.
Spiritual reasons
Some rape and incest cases are spiritually induced, which might be as a result of curses or spells cast on them to make them indulge in such activities that can lead them to jail and tarnish their image and that of their family while some rape are rituals done for money making and fame.
This explains the rape of under-aged children even babies, mad women, as well as very old women. One would wonder what a 90-year-old man is looking for in a one year or even three months old baby with undeveloped physical features. He simply wants to kill the child and use the child’s life to rejuvenate and elongate his own life.
What madness would inspire a man to have sexual relations with his daughter, worst still baby girl of even 3 years? This calls for spiritual interventions.
Effects
Rape can have psychological, medical, emotional, and physical effects on the survivor. I call them survivor because some are raped to death while some are raped and killed to avoid identification of the offender.
Medical problems
Children are not physically and psychologically ready for sexual activities. The act of rape or incest is damaging to their bodies. In many cases, these young girls get pregnant and are forced to undergo abortion that may further damage their already damaged bodies.
Psychological Problems
Rape and incest always leave the victims with mental and emotional damage even for years to come. Victims have to deal with feelings of distrust, sadness, rage, and shame, etc.
I have heard of cases of a father having carnal knowledge of his daughter. How do you trust anyone else after your own father abused your trust so deeply! These feelings often foster a very poor self esteem that can lead to isolation, guilt, and even suicide.
This affects these victims negatively. They go through emotional pains for years. Such pains cannot be diagnosed medically. It also affects their peace of mind, and even their peace in the family..
They find it difficult to sustain a relationship as a result of eroded trust.
SOLUTIONS
Security of the girl child is crucial at this moment. This can be done through Public education, enlightenments which will enable the girls know the dangers facing female folk; precautionary measures to take such as reporting every sexual advances made to her early enough, proper dressing- not wearing sexually provocative dresses, avoiding privacy with the opposite sex, avoiding night movement in lonely areas, unnecessary nearness to male persons, or visiting a guy alone in a private apartment.Girls need to learn to set relationship boundaries.
We also need to teach our girls self-defense. I learnt classes are on-going in Lagos teaching girls how to protect themselves. Kudos to the organizers of such classes..
We all must be alert and careful how we leave our little boys and girls with relatives, neighbours or domestic staff of the opposite sex.
Hardly should a stranger have the liberty and closeness to rape a girl but those that are close they are the major perpetrators of this evil..
In FACADO orphanage, no opposite sex is allowed to have any close relationship with any child or keep any form of privacy. Boys are not allowed in girl’s room and vice versa.
How do we alleviate the rising cases of rape and incest in Nigeria?
We need to combat the high level of moral decadence and extreme materialism in the country.
CONCLUSION
Government, the law makers, law enforcement agents, civil society groups, the courts, parents and guardians need to take the issue of rape very seriously today. This has become imperative because of increasing cases of rape which has degenerated to incest involving even 3 year old baby girl.
Nigerian senators on Tuesday 7th July 2020 passed a bill that will protect students from sexual harassment in the country’s tertiary institutions if signed into law. This is a good development to protect our girls, as Senate President rightly said “We have to protect our daughters from predators.”
Who can protect a girl child?
This calls for more proactive action against these increasing cases of rape in Nigeria.
*Dehumanizing punishment should8 could serve as deterrent.
*There is also the spiritual side of it. For example, for a man to have carnal knowledge of his 3 year old daughter is a spiritual case. Women should devote more time to closely watch the men in their lives and also pray fervently for them.
*Mothers should build trust and confidence in our children. Believe them when they report and take necessary actions. For instance, in FACADO Orphanage, every report from the children is taken seriously and if the staff is found guilty, he or she is fired immediately.
“Women should stop dying in silence covering the men molesting their daughter because of materialism, be it your husband or your brother.
A blacklisting Register should be opened in every Local government where every rapist or anyone found in incestuous activities is listed. *
Ensure rape cases are appropriately reported, investigated and prosecuted. Let there be speedy investigation and prosecution of suspects, with severe punishment which will stretch between life jail, castration and death.
Finally, I advocate free treatment of rape victims in hospitals.
On this note I call on the general public to jointly fight against this ugly menace, and provide safe environment for our children.
God bless us all.
