The Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) has lamented the cases of rape in Nigerian universities.
In a statement signed by Geraldyn Ezeakile of the NFF secretariat and
forwarded to the office of the chairman, National Human Rights
Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, the group mentioned recent cases of rape of
female students and the affected culprits.
“The Nigerian Feminist Forum ‘(NFF)’ is dismayed and alarmed by what
appears to be an overwhelming rise in reported cases of sexual assault
and rape of female university students by male members of the academic
staff and students across university campuses in Nigeria”, the statement
said.
The group called for immediate action to put an end to the menace.
The group noted that in the past few months, there have been several
reports of rape and sexual violence on female students by members of the
academic staff in several universities.
“For instance in the last week of August 2015, Professor Cyril
Ndifon, Dean of the Faculty of Law University of Calabar was alleged to
have sexually assaulted a 20-year-old, 400-level law student from the
same university”, the group noted.
“On or about July 23 2015 Dr. Akin Baruwa, a lecturer with the
University of Lagos, allegedly raped an 18-year-old female admission
seeker”, the statement added
The statement said the majority of cases of sexual violence against
female university students in Nigeria go unreported for various reasons
including stigma, character assassination, public backlash and limited
access to justice for victims.
It added that in many cases, female students who have reported such
cases have been subsequently targeted for reprisal attacks by thugs,
cultists or university teachers.
It stated that the mass abuse of female university students in
Nigeria is fuelled by the lack of a consistent and clear policy by
university governing bodies and school authorities concerning sexual
harassment, sexual assault and rape of female students.
“Student handbooks and codes of conduct for staff and students are
generally ‘silent’ on this and do not adequately address issues of
violence against women”, the statement said.
“Sexual assaults are hardly mentioned during orientation for first
year students neither are there any dedicated channels of redress or
support for students who experience this form of violence whilst on
campus”, it noted.
It stated that it is inadequate for university authorities to
continue to disassociate themselves, single out, disown or suspend
individual perpetuators of such grievous crime of gender based violence
and abuse of public office and trust without providing any sort of
support and care for the victims and their families.
“Sexual abuse of female students directly impedes on the progresses
made in advancing Girl-Child education, in fulfilment of the MDGs and
other newly adopted ‘laws’, as well at the objectives sited on the AU
Agenda 2063 regarding Girl-child education”, the group stated.
It therefore called on the Academic Staff Union of Universities,
ASUU, to adopt and enforce a comprehensive sexual harassment policy for
its members, penalise by delisting any of its members convicted of an
act of sexual offence, and sensitise its members on then negative effect
of sexual harassment of female students.
The statement adds that governing bodies of tertiary schools should
also immediately adopt policies and measures to address sexual violation
of female university students by fellow students and members of staff,
put in place a comprehensive policy on eradicating sexual harassment on
campus., ensure a victim’s response mechanism for reporting,
investigating and prosecution of perpetrators of sexual violence against
female students, and conduct mass sensitization on sexual violence
across all campuses in Nigeria.
It also called on civic organisations and journalists to continue to
support victims to report cases of sexual harassment and abuse. This, it
said, will ensure the full prosecution of perpetrators of sexual crimes
against women.
It added that civic organisations concerned should ensure that the
ongoing cases of two university lecturers before the law courts are not
swept under the carpet.
The statement reiterated the group’s resolve to help in all possible ways to ensure the actualisation of these goals.
“Rape is a crime under the criminal and penal code in Nigeria. Sexual
harassment, sexual assault and rape is a clear violation of Article 3
(4) of the protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples rights
on the Rights of Women in Africa (2003)”, the statement noted.
Other such laws include: “Article 2 (d) of The Convention on
Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 1979
and Section 24 of the Violence Against Person Prohibition (VAPP) Act
2014″, it added.
Source
