A Senior Lecturer at the Department of English, University of Ibadan, Dr. Doyin Aguoru, lamented how culprits of rape and violence against women go unpunished in most cases in the country.
She also called on governments at all levels, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and women groups to intensify efforts in addressing the issues of violence against women in the country.
Aguoru revealed this in Lagos at the Sixth International Conference on Women and Children with the theme: ”˜Male Visibility/Invisibility and Violence Against Women and Children in Africa: Pathways, Challenges, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives.’
She lamented that most people get away with cases of rape and other forms of violence against women because they are influential, urging governments and civil society groups to ensure that the culprits are brought to book and made to face the wrath of the law.
She also expressed confidence that the narrative, especially in the area of violence against women, is changing, stressing that women are becoming aware that there is help for them, “even the male folks are conscious of the fact that you cannot harness a woman and get away with it.”
Going further Aguoru added: “We want a world where women will not be abused because they are trying to occupy a space that is naturally theirs. A lot has been achieved, but there still much to do in addressing the issue. I feel that government has to make frantic efforts to ensure that people do the right things and people who don’t do the right things are brought to book whether male or female. It is about living in a society with moral standards and equity. There are interventions that can be handled to address this issue. Women are vulnerable and are faced with different types of abuses and violence. Despite these challenges, they still have to be focused.
In her remarks, a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Arts, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Dr. Onyeka Iwuchukwu, said violence against women are in various degrees, adding that women on their parts need to make concerted efforts to address this issue, “women are culpable for violence against women.”
She remarked that women should ensure that they understand properly the level of violence, the conditions responsible, and how it can be addressed, urging them to react against what is known as global sisterhood.
