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Summary
No act of sexual assault or male violence against women is "small," as minor incidents can escalate into severe crimes, like femicide. It is important to report GBV incidents rather than urging victims to forgive, and there are platforms available to report such crimes to ensure legal action is taken.
There’s nothing small when it comes to sexual assault, Male Violence Against Women and Girls (MVAWG) or Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The ones you think are small just lead to a bigger one or even Femicide. A typical example is the case of the French man Dominique Pélicot, who invited different men to drug and rape his wife, Gisèle Pélicot, for ten years. The case would not have seen the light of day if he wasn’t arrested for up-skirting (taking pictures under a person’s clothing to view their genitals). Thankfully up-skirting is a crime in France, and through the investigation, police found over 4,000 pictures and videos of his wife and daughter being drugged and raped by him and other accomplices.
There’s this adage in my language that says, “Ogbaru nkiti kwere ekwe,” meaning S/he who keeps quiet is guilty too. I know speaking up is not one of the easiest things to do, but when you speak, you speak for all of us who have survived MVAWG in the past and prevent it from happening to those of us who have not experienced it. When you speak up, you help us all put one of them behind bars and who knows? You might help their past survivors get justice and give them the courage to speak up.
In a society like Africa, where families, religious institutions and most organisations gather to cover rape and all forms of male violence against women, telling the woman to forgive and forget or asking questions like, what do you stand to gain if he goes to jail? And saying things like she might have secretly enjoyed it, too? Or you asked for it by dressing the way you did! Just know that when it comes to the issue of MVAWG reporting, it is not in the survivor’s place to forgive. Let the law take action. People say to just forgive and forget, but do we really forget?
Women oppression is not cultural
Who could have thought that the police would go from up-skirting to uncovering a whole 4000 pictures and videos of this man drugging and raping his wife and inviting other men to take turns he even had a video of his daughter. MVAWG or GBV reporting is important to keep everyone safe.
The truth is when you cover an abuser, it’s just a matter of time before he goes out there and does it to another woman and yet another. Guess what? If you spoke up, he wouldn’t have gotten away with it or had the chance to do more. It’s not in your place to forgive and forget because, in situations concerning MVAWG, it is an issue that bothers every woman anywhere in the world.
I understand MVAWG reporting is one of the hardest things to do because it is the only crime where the victim is often blamed. What was she wearing? She asked for it! Why did she try to fight back? Why did she go out at night? The shame woven around MVAWG is seen as that of the victims instead of that of the abuser. We are changing the narrative and making sure the shame, punishment and taunting dwell with the abuser. I know everyone is not as brave as Gisèle Pélicot, but I’ll introduce you to five platforms for Gender Based Violence (GBV) reporting in Nigeria.
5 Platforms to Report Gender-Based Violence
Most of these organisations focus on one or more forms of GBV and have jurisdiction in certain locations and states. Please do your research to find the appropriate organisation for the case you are reporting. Most reports can be made by the victim or a third party (if you see something, say something).
- Oga Lecturer
An organisation focused on ending sexual harassment, sextortion and all forms of GBV in Nigerian schools. They are very heavy on protecting the victims, ensuring their anonymity and making sure disciplinary action is taken against the lecturer or whoever is involved.
- Gender mobile
A youth-led NGO focused on ending physical, domestic, economic, sexual and all forms of GBV in Nigeria. They offer quick response, legal representation, empowerment and lots more through several initiatives, such as Campus Safety Initiative, Ending Violence against Women and Girls, Adolescent Wellness Hub, Skill Up Women and Girls, Food Hub, WOWANi and CampusPal.
- Kuram
Kuram translates to “keep me safe” in Tiv, one of Nigeria’s many languages. TechHerNG designed the Kuram platform to provide resources to address OGBV threats affecting different vulnerable groups across gender, sexual orientation, class, and background. They provide pro bono legal representation, a safe space, assistance in taking images or videos from the internet, and lots more.
- Lawbrella
Lawbrella initiative is a Techsocietal initiative to combat CSAM, NCII, IBSA, and other forms of Online Gender-Based Violence. Lawbrella is made up of passionate lawyers who have the best interest of survivors at heart. They help them get the appropriate legal advice and representation and much more.
- Ripoti
Ripoti is an arm of Paradigm Initiative and an N.G.O focused on digital rights, advocacy, empowerment, and combating CSAM, NCII, IBSA, and other forms of OGBV. The initiative was born out of the need to create awareness of the dangers of OGBV and provide support to the victims. Paradigm Initiative also has a toolkit called AYETA, which translates to bulletproof in Yoruba. The Ayeta toolkit educates people on how to make sure they stay safe online.
For more organisations to report gender-based violence, see NFM’s online resource.
