CSO to Police: Treat sexual violence as security threat

By Precious Igbonwelundu

A Civil Society Organisations (CSO), Justice and Security Dialogue (JSD) has appealed to the police and other law enforcement agencies to treat Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) as a security threat.

The group’s Programme Coordinator, Isioma Kemakolam, made the call in a chat with reporters, noting that rape was on the increase because the government and its agencies were yet to consider the vice a security threat to be prioritised.

According to Kemakolam, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted issues of rape more, leading to a public outcry.

“To really see change, we need to see shifts in how the government, police and others understand sexual violence as a security issue that impacts everyone and the society.

“This pandemic has brought to the fore this issue and there are increased discussions around it as a ‘shadow pandemic’ during the COVID-19 pandemic, which now proves to be a catalyst for action,” she said.

The coordinator said lack of awareness on existing laws, family attachments (to the perpetrator), fear of public opinion/shame, insecurity,  social and economic dependency, stereotypes, prejudice, fear of retribution, feeling of helplessness, religious and cultural beliefs amongst others were hindering rape victims from seeking justice.

To tackle the scourge in Jos, Plateau State, she said a gender desk has been set up at Nasarawa Gwom Police Division with 40 officers trained to handle such issues.

“Manning the Desk are trained officers who will not only professionally carry out their duties but network and coordinate with other service providers in the handling of SGBV in line with relevant national, international,   regional, instruments such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Marriage Acts, Violence Against Persons Prohibition, The Child Rights Law of Plateau State , The Gender and Equal Opportunities Law among others,” she said.