Child, Adult Rape On The Rise In Oyo State Communities – UNFPA-GA
Children are most especially the most vulnerable due to high rate of poverty as they have been subjected to hawking and other child labour which expose them to rape and other forms of violence.
A team of researchers working on the Global Affairs Canada landscape analysis on sexual and gender-based violence have raised alarm over an increasing rate of rape and gender-based violence against women in some communities in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.
The research, which was funded by Global Affairs Canada, was executed by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Sokoto, Bauchi, and Oyo States. It was carried out to find out the rate of Gender Based Violence (GBV) harmful traditional practices across the states.
The researchers in their findings disclosed that women in Ogbomoso, Oyo towns, and other rural communities in the state suffer high level of rape, assault, and abuse with drugs and alcohol consumption as the leading factors of gender-based violence in most communities in the state.
The team of experts included Adebimpe Adenugba, Oyo State Coordinator for the UNFPA-GAC survey, Esther Somefun, Gender Reproductive Health Analyst of UNFPA, Usman Ojedokun, Dr O.B Babalola, and O.K Oyelade,
In the preliminary report submitted to Oyo State Ministry of Health at the Exit/Validation meeting with stakeholders on Global Affairs Canada Landscape Analysis on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, Harmful Traditional Practices and Obstetrics Fistula in the state, the team of researchers disclosed that women reported that their men were not living up to family responsibilities.
Adenugba, while making the presentation disclosed that women reported not enjoying any form of rights and also noted that women are still subjected to harmful traditional practices.
Speaking on the issue of rape in the affected communities, Esther Somefun said that there is high rate of rape and gender-based violence in some communities in the state especially Oyo and Ogbomoso communities where they are rampant.
“Yes, they said rape is consistent and is common. Apart from husbands raping their wives, there is also child rape, adult rape and elderly rape,” Somefun said.
“They said the children especially are vulnerable because during a period like this with high rate of poverty, they had to send their children hawking, so child labour causes rape. So there’s high rate of rape in Iseyin and Ogbomosho communities,” she added.
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