The Need for Kano State to Implement Policy of Zero Tolerance for all forms of Sexual Violence against Women and Children

The alarming increase rate of rape cases in Nigeria with Kano as inclusion has kept people wondering whether the Government is making any effort in fighting against Sexual Violence.

According to the outcome of a survey published by the Ngozi Okwonjo-Iweala (NOI) polls, one in every three girls living in Nigeria could have experienced at least one form of sexual assault.

Well, I am here today to give you reasons why the government of Kano state should implement Zero Tolerance policy for all forms of Sexual Violence after seeing the current increase in cases of rape.

Sexual violence is common among the populace in Nigeria. It can manifest itself under different incidents and can happen at home, school, workspace, or open space. Women have been socialized into a culture of “silence”, even when they are violated and abused. The most common form of violence is "rape" and that of a minor which is common in Kano.

The Nigerian Police Force under the Kano state command recently reported about 42 cases that have been recorded between January and May 2020. The state has also recorded cases of unnatural offenses such as sodomy, sexual harassment, and attempted rape.

Although Kano state has passed an Anti-Rape law prescribing 14 years imprisonment, there seems to be no recorded enforceability.

Many Nigeria societies consider women and children to be weak and inferior, while men are recognized as the strongest gender. Consequently, women are forced to remain silent and are denied their rights.

It is important to note that Gender and Sexual Based Violence is deeply rooted in culture as well as social norms and the belief system of the people and place. Due to these reasons, some of the victims and their families, fearing stigmatization, police extortion, and a lack of trust in the judicial process therefore prefer not to report to the authorities.

According to the analysis provided by Nigerian Police Force under the Kano state command, statistical figures places where these Sexual Violence acts are carried out stated that 33% in uncompleted buildings, 15.6% in shops, 15.6% at suspects’ residence, 17.7% at farmland, 8.9% in schools, While 6.7% and 2.2%  in victims residence and Market places respectively.

Many People do not consider domestic violence and forced sex within marriage as sexual violence. As a result of the misconception around religion, which recognizes beating a wife as a man’s role of disciplining his wife and his entitlement to having sex whenever he demands it. Most often it is difficult to notice domestic violence since it's something that grows during a longer period.

We have heard the spates of rape cases which included an attack on an 80-year-old woman and children as young as 10 years old. On June 10, 2020, a mother in Dangora, a small town in Kano state, just 85 kilometres South-west of Kano city reportedly caught a man in her children's bedroom. While trying to escape, the neighbors caught him.  Also, recently the Nigerian Police force, Kano states Command arrested a man after 40 people were raped in one town in the state over a period of a year.

Sexual Violence is a serious public health concern and human rights violation with negative consequences that impact people's lives. The safety of children and young women within communities to attend school and to move freely within their communities and within their homes without fear of violence or sexual assault is a basic human right. There is an urgent need to roll out an intervention that will protect women and children especially girls and prevent and further acts of sexual violence in Nigeria with emphasis on Kano

When you fight against sexual violence, you are not just fighting to protect the country but fighting to promote human rights and gender equality. Therefore, recognizing the impact of sexual violence, the Kano State Ministry of Justice in collaboration with relevant desk in the State Ministries, Nigerian Police Force, Local Government Welfare units, and credible Non-Governmental Organizations should strengthen efforts to hold perpetrators accountable.

Finally, addressing these problems would require framing and strengthening existing policies and strengthening existing laws that respond to the needs of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence victims to promote Sustainable peace and development.