LAGOS – As cases of rape and molestation against women in Nigeria seems unending, Mrs Folashade Ajayi, a sex education counsellor has reiterated the need for stiffer punishments and introduction of special school sessions on sex education.
According to her, the special sex education session in schools will feature talks about sex education, measures against being a victim of rape and sexual harassment are aimed at further sensitization of female students against the sexual urge of rapists in schools, religious worship centres and at the home front.
In an interview with Daly Independent, Mrs Ajayi lamented that since the menace had become a recurring crime in Nigeria, the government, religious and worship centres, the schools, the family unit and communities should rise up to tame the nuisance that had claimed the lives of many innocent children and women.
Speaking on the effect of the lockdown caused by the spread of coronavirus, she said with the pandemic many have become more relaxed in their approach to the way they dress and relate with the opposite sex.
“For instance, most women and young girls do not wear a bra and pants at home because they’re not going anywhere. On the other hand, men get sexually influenced by what they see and when particular episodes keep reoccurring, it takes self-discipline and control to overcome those temptations. Sometimes the women and young girls strategically do some stuff to distract guys and men.
“Victims usually do not have the physical strength to resist the rapist. Sometimes victims are lured with what they like e.g. biscuits, cake, chocolate, sweets, toys, money and unsolicited favours. Whatever the perpetrator knows would attract the victim is what the victim uses to get his predators,” she added.
She identified faulty parenting, sexual temptation/harassment, peer pressure influence, cultism, drug abuse and constant exposure to pornography directly or indirectly as some of the causes of rape and sexual harassment against women, especially.
On the roles expected of the community and the society, Ajayi said, “The Church and mosque should always talk about the consequence of taking advantage of people for their selfish interest, parents- should be part of their children live at every developmental stage, parents should know who their children associate with, parents should have a cordial relationship with their wards and that schools should have sessions where they treat topics like rape and other similar topics.
Ajayi urged the government to create an agency that will look at the menace and give appropriate advice to the government from time to time, create rehabilitation centres for victims and called for more advocacy or ambassadors of ‘Say No To Rape’ across the country.
She advocated for legal backing to punish perpetrators by parading them naked on national media as a deterrent to others.