Foundation Seeks Stiffer Punishment For Gender Violence

A non-governmental organisation FAME Foundation has called for stiffer punishment for gender violence in the country.

The executive director, FAME Foundation Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, said, globally, femicide is seen as a violation of human rights, with the United Nations reporting that more than 89,000 women and girls were killed in 2022 and 2023.

During a press conference in Abuja yesterday, highlighted that 2022 report alone, it was reported that at least 401 women died from sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria the Situation in Nigeria in Nigeria, femicide is often concealed due to societal stigma, fear of retaliation, or shame experienced by the victims’ families. Many cases go unreported, leaving families devastated and perpetuating a culture of silence.

She noted, that imbalance of power between men and women fuels this violence, with men feeling entitled to control women, even if it means taking their lives.The situation is now critical, the FG says Nigeria records 27,698 SGBV cases in the last three years.Some recent cases of the current reality: Paul Jeremiah, a 20-year-old undergraduate, was arrested by the Kogi State Police Command for kidnapping and murdering Damilola, a 19-year-old first-year student at the Federal University of Lafia.

Femicide has become a pandemic and a state of emergency needs to be declared on this often-overlooked issue. Victim blaming must end.Femicide, the intentional killing of women and girls because they are female, is a serious crime that is on the rise in Nigeria.

“It often stems from ongoing patterns of violence against girl child, young women women, driven by deep-rooted beliefs that men should have control over women.”

“After demanding a ransom of N10 million, Jeremiah and his accomplices accepted N400,000 but decided to kill and mutilate her when dissatisfied with the sum.Ayomide Adeleye, a 200-level Philosophy student, confessed to the murder of Christianah Idowu, a 300-level student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB). Christianah had been missing for two weeks, and her body was only discovered after Adeleye confessed to the 174 Battalion of the Nigerian Army.

She further stated, Justina Nkang was murdered and dismembered by her boyfriend, Damian Okoligwe, a 400-level student of Petrochemical Engineering at the University of Port Harcourt, the deceased was a 300-level undergraduate student. No justice till date. Celine Ndudim and Afiba Tandoh vanished after visiting one Andrew Amaechi, they are missing till date. Later on, people discovered the decomposed body of a young woman without a head, hands, or legs suspected to belong to one of the deceased. Till date, the girls are yet to be found and the suspect was reported as ‘shot dead’.

The girls were last seen at Amaechi’s residence in Abia State.A man’s alleged plot to use a woman for rituals was disrupted after her cries alerted staff in a hotel in Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. A video seen on social media had the girls hands and legs tied by the Perpertrator.These cases are just a few examples of what has happened this year alone and it reflect a growing pattern of gender-based violence and femicide that is becoming more frequent.

Ways Forward we need to strengthen existing laws that address SGBV and ensure its enforcement. Perpetrators of femicide must face swift and adequate punishment to deter future crimes.

“It is critical to break the silence surrounding femicide. Public education programs that dismantle harmful gender stereotypes and promote gender equality can help reduce this culture of violence.Engaging men and boys in conversations about gender equality and non-violence is important in changing the harmful gender norms that perpetuate femicide.”

Call to Action We urge the government, civil society organizations, parents, religious bodies, traditional and community leader, and all citizens of Nigeria to unite in the fight against femicide.

Silence is not an option while women and girls are brutally murdered – just like that. We call on the government to strengthen laws addressing femicide and ensure they are properly enforced. Media organizations must raise awareness and challenge the harmful social norms that perpetuate this violence, while communities need to remain vigilant, support victims, and hold perpetrators accountable.

Men, in particular, should become allies in promoting gender equality and preventing gender-based violence.What FAME Foundation is Doing!At FAME Foundation:We are actively raising awareness about the dangers of femicide and advocating for stronger legal protections for women and girls. One of our key initiatives is the Advocacy Sensitization Outreach program, which we run in various IDP camps, selected communities and schools across Nigeria.

Through community outreach and education, we engage both men and women in conversations about gender equality, the value of respectful relationships, and the harmful impact violence has on families and society as a whole.We work closely with relevant law enforcement and government agencies, and other Civil Society Organizations, to ensure that cases of femicide are reported and thoroughly investigated.

FAME Foundation is a safe space for victims, and we are committed to ensuring they receive justice. We take it upon ourselves to support victims through every step of their journey, advocating for their rights and holding perpetrators accountable.

To effectively combat femicide, we are undertaking thorough research to gather accurate data on femicide cases in Nigeria.

This research will inform our advocacy efforts and help us develop targeted interventions that address the root causes of this violence.The time to act is now. Every woman and girl deserves the right to live free from violence and fear. Together, we can put an end to femicide in Nigeria.