The discussants made the call on Thursday night after a film screening of a documentary
on “The Hunting Ground” organised by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja.
“The Hunting Ground” examines the issue of sexual assault in U.S. universities, the role of
the institutions and the effect on victims and their families.
The documentary was to create awareness and find solutions to ending sexual harassment
in educational institutions in Nigeria.
It aimed at inspiring new laws and changes in campus policy.
One of the panelists, Dorothy Njemane, a rights activist and Chief Executive Officer
DorothyNjemane Foundation, said that sexual harassment and rape thrived because of
lack of enforcement of relevant laws and sanctions against the crime.
Njemane, who said she was a victim of rape and sexual harassment, stressed that the
perpetrators of the crime most often went scot free because of weak legal structure
in the country and inability of security agents to enforce the law.
She said that victims of rape and sexual harassment usually did not get justice because
many a time they found it difficult to speak out because of stigmatisation.
The rights activist said it was time victims made noise about the crime, urging them not
give in to factors such as religious belief, cultural and societal influence that aid the
perpetrator to escape the wrath of law.
“Rape hurts, sexual harassment demoralises, hence there is no justification for hurting
or making excuse for evil of others.
“Our laws are problematic and until law continues to take its course, we are going nowhere,”
she said.
Another panelist, Dr. Ganiyat Adeshina, the Dean of Social Sciences and Head of Department
National Open University Abuja, said that there was no concrete policy against sexual
harassment in Nigerian institutions of learning.
“There is need to take holistic approach against this menace in our higher institutions
because most universities do not have policies on rape or sexual harassment of students.
“We also need to review some of the laws on rape and sexual harassment that will not give
easy way of escape for the perpetrators,” she said.
She said that there was need for right policy in place to address rape and sexual harassment
in the country.
According to her, there should be police station on campus that takes care of sexual
harassment and rape in higher institutions.
Another discussant, Fakhriyya Hasim, from Arewa Me 2 Foundation, also called on victims
of sexual harassment, especially from the northern part of the country to speak out.
Hasim said that the awareness of relevant laws against sexual harassment and rape was
low and there was need to increase it.
She said this would make victims to take appropriate action and give warning to
the-would-be perpetrator.
Other participants, including secondary school students, who were victims of
sexual harassment and rape also bore their minds on the issue.
Some of the girls, who craved anonymity, said that they could not speak out because of
stigmatisation and threat to their lives by the perpetrators.