By How Women Who Spoke Up On Rape Are Stigmatized In Nigeria
The failure to tackle rape crisis emboldens perpetrators and silences survivors. We can not afford to live in a society where our women do not feel safe.
It’s indeed a Patriarchist, egoistic issue in our society, and trust me, this is not originally part of our history as African people. In many parts of Africa, women were kings before foreign invasion.
Today, it is a different narrative. It is in this part of the world that men will rape a woman, and the woman will be stigmatised for speaking up. It is in this part of the world, women are faulted for wearing transparent clothes, or short skirts and even fellow women and other men will justify the madness of a man that the reason the man raped the lady is because of what she’s wearing.
There is no way I can comprehend this kind of stupidity going on in our society.
This is the reason many Nigerian men abroad are in prison for allegations of sexual harassment, and rape because they can not control themselves, and they are so used to getting away with same crime back home where from they came. As Yorubas will say, “ise ile lo ngbe ni de ita’ more so, charity begins at home.
Yes, there r many wrong allegations against men by women, and this is why we should advocate more for fair hearing for both the accused and the accuser.
I repeat, even if all the ladies are telling lies about their sexual harassment experiences, these matters need to be taken seriously. If the man is found guilty, he should pay the prize in prison. If the lady is found telling lies, she should also either pay the prize in prison or in fine.
As for me, it is a matter that should be severely dealt with. But until we have true leaders in Africa, our women will keep being victims of these kinds of stupid men.
WRITTEN BY: OMOTADE ISAAC
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