AE-FUNAI, GIRL-CHILD ART FOUNDATION CALL FOR END TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State and a non-governmental organization, Girl-Child Art Foundation have called for an end to sexual violence against women, especially the girl-child in Nigeria.

They made the call recently during a two-day program held at the Iruka Centre, Alex- Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ebonyi State, to educate and inspire girls and young women on how to stand-up against sexual violence.


A group photograph of resource persons and students that participated in the event
While declaring the advocacy program open, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sunday Elom who was represented by the Ag. Dean, Students’ Affairs, Dr. Charles Okolie, noted the importance of protecting the girl-child from sexual violence, and charged girls and young women to break-free and stand strong against the menace of rape in the country.

The Vice-Chancellor stated that the program was geared towards educating students on how to avert sexual violence and anything that could lead to rape, adding that rape is a form of sexual assault and misconduct forcefully carried out in a non-consensual manner on a victim.

He urged the students to always stand firm and speak-out when they are sexually abused, while assuring them that the university management is available, accessible and willing to champion their cause. He therefore called on the girl-child to always dress properly and be mindful of friends and places they go, so as to avoid being a victim of rape.


Ag. Dean, Students’ Affairs, Dr. Charles Okolie presenting the VC’s address at the event
Dr. Ukie Ogbonnia, the Youth Development Officer of Girl-Child Art Foundation and UNESCO Ambassador in the use of art to combat violence against women and girls, and also a lecturer in the Department of Fine Arts of the university, said the foundation selected AE-FUNAI to be part of the campaign on sexual violence against women because of the stern disposition and zero tolerance of the Vice-Chancellor to sexual abuse and molestation in the university.

He noted that the main aim of the program was to ensure that every community in Nigeria joins hands in advocating against rape and other forms of sexual violence against women.

He further stated that the program will help to engage community members to reduce the incidence of social vices on campuses and everywhere a girl-child is found in the country. He therefore encouraged the students to use artworks to tell stories of the happenings around their environment.


Dr. Ukie Ogbonnia speaking at the event


While addressing the students, the Guest Speaker, Mrs. Nancy Oko-Unya, an expert in gender mainstreaming and child welfare, capacity building of caregivers, orphans and vulnerable, maintained that rape is often a sexual intercourse with an unwilling victim through force or threat.


Mrs. Nancy Oko-Unya delivering her keynote speech at during program
She explained that forced-prostitution or forced-slavery are forms of rape, adding that based on traditional norms, women are expected to behave in a certain way to avoid being victims of rape. She encouraged the students to build self-worth, and avoid low self-esteem, even as she urged victims to be strong and realize that it is not the end of the world.

Dr. Makuachukwu Ojide, who spoke on ‘Understanding the Psychological and Emotional Impact of Sexual Assault on Survivors’, said perpetrators of sexual abuse may use emotional pressure, psychological force or manipulation to coerce a victim into non-consensual sex. He advised the students to be more careful and mindful of where they go and how they dress, as indecent dressing is a major factor in rape.

He encouraged victims to be whistle blowers, and to break-free from the trauma and stigmatization of rape, urging them to pick the pieces of their lives and forge ahead. He further charged victims of rape to seek for medical attention for proper examination.

Concluding, he stated that sexual assault could be extremely traumatizing and life-changing if not properly dealt with, stressing that with the help of counseling and close relatives and friends, victims can easily recover.


Dr. Makuachukwu Ojide speaking at event


In her own submission, Dr. Vivian Njemanze a senior lecturer, Department of Sociology of the University, said that sexual abuse is an act of sexual contact that a person suffers, submits to and performs as a result of force.


Dr. Vivian Njamanze delivering her lecture
She stressed that no matter the situation, nobody has the right to abuse any woman and go scot-free as the law is not a respecter of any person. She advised women to report any sexual abuse to avert further occurrence.

Highlight of the program was the unveiling of an artwork that demonstrated the agony of an imaginary girl-child that was a victim of sexual abuse.


Group of students at the event