FIDA suggests more sensitization to curb rape
By; JULIANH KATUNG & OJO SOLA, Kaduna.
Female Lawyers under the auspices of International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), has said grassroots sensitization is the major weapon needed to curb the menace of rape in Nigeria.
This they said, should go alongside tough penalty for anyone found guilty by any court of competent jurisdiction which may include life imprisonment as practiced in other countries like India.
It could be recalled that the Nigerian Senate had in June this year, passed the Sexual Offences Bill, which prescribed life imprisonment for rapists and those who have sexual intercourse with children under 11 years, if signed into law.
Speaking at a sensitization workshop for secondary school students in Kaduna Wednesday, representative of FIDA, Barrister Amina Audi Muhammed, who talked tough on incessant rape cases involving minors, stressed that it is time to work on people’s mind right from tender age in order to see the opposite sex as a sister, mother and daughter and vice-versa in the case of women.
According to her, “rape is supposed to be cut off in our society of today. We need more sensitization which is why we gather secondary school students and their teachers here to brainstorm on what is expected of them. We are also targeting hospitals because these are the places we can get mothers and their children. The role of mothers is to talk to their children and teach the girl-child how to avoid been rape victim”.
Executive Director, African Ethics and Theatre Reformation Initiative (AETRI), Oscar Baker Anoruo, said the 2-day sensitization workshop with the theme: “Addressing Violence in Our Schools and Society” was targeted at teachers and secondary school students due to their pivotal role as agents of change in the society.
He highlighted gang rape, lacing drinks with drugs with intent to sexually abuse, deliberately infecting partner with HIV and other diseases, sex tourism, sexual harassment and prostitution of persons with mental disabilities as some of the issues the organization he superintends want to address.
