The news of rape victims in Nigeria has been on the news back to back for a while now. It’s been a triggering week for women around Nigeria. If we’re being honest, isn’t this what an average day in the life of a Nigerian woman is? With the news of Uwa, the undergraduate who was raped in a church, Tina, the girl who was killed in Berger and a lot of other daily rape cases that surface on social media, more women are encouraged to share their stories and call out abusers.
The journey to justice in Nigeria is typically long and tedious. If you would like to help out and provide support for rape victims in Nigeria, we’ve curated different ways you can do this:
1. Contribute to “Fresh Start For Farishina”
A 12-year-old girl, Farishina who is one of 8 children was raped by 11 men. While the men have been arrested and would hopefully be convicted and sentenced appropriately, here’s how you can help Farishina: You can donate to help her start afresh here. More information:
2. Make a donation towards #JusticeForUwa
You probably already know Uwa’s story by now. You can make a contribution to her family by using this link.
3. Sign this petition to get justice for Uwa
A petition to put the Nigerian police on the spot and expedite the process of investigating Uwa’s rape and murder has begun. Find out more about the petition and sign here.
4. Join this protest:
A protest has been organised to ask the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on the sexual and gender based violence epidemic in Nigeria. See details below:
5. The #JusticeForTina protest
This was supposed to happened today, 4th of June 2020, but been proposed. You might to keep your ear out for updates.
6. Be a part of the Sexual Harassment Bill campaign:
Sexual harassment is a form of sexual assault. It is making unwelcome and inappropriate sexual remarks or physical advances in a workplace or other professional or social situation. It is very prevalent in universities in Nigeria. There’s a bill in the works to punish sexual offenders in University. See details below and how you can help:
7. Donate to advocacy groups doing the work:
There a lot of advocacy groups doing the work and they need funding. You can donate to the Stand To End Rape Initiative, a youth-led movement advancing gender equality & an end to SGBV through advocacy, prevention & support. You can donate to Hands Off Ng, an organisation teaching children, teenagers and adults about CONSENT.
8. Report cases of sexual assault:
If you have experienced any form of sexual assault, or know someone that has experienced it, you can report to any of the advocacy groups above mentioned. It might not be easy as a survivor, but it’s important in order to get justice. If you know someone who has experienced any form of sexual assault, don’t cover it up, help out by reporting. The Mirabel Center provides support for rape victims.
9. Don’t blame victims:
You don’t want to be that person blaming victims, asking about their whereabouts and what they wore. Rape is never the victims fault. The only thing that causes rape is the rapist.
10. Sign the petition to include sex education in Nigeria’s school curriculum:
We need to teach consent to every Nigerian in the way they best understand. Let them know the consequence of sexual harassment and the danger of entitlement to anyone’s body. Teach them that ‘Yes’ means ‘Yes’ and any other thing is a ‘No’. Sign the petition here.
11. Stop raping women.
No means no. It’s as simple as that.
12. Use your voice to be a part of the campaign:
Tweet about it, talk about it, sensitize others about it; use your voice to be a part of the campaign. Join the online protests!
In what other ways should people be helping out? Reach out to us (ope@bigcabal.com) about specific events/protests/campaigns – we’re constantly updating this list. Or leave a comment in the comment section.
