Clerics condemn rising cases of GBV in Africa

A group of religious leaders from Africa have added their voice on the rise in gender-based violence in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The religious leaders from the Christian and Muslim faith held a webinar titled Rape and Gender-Based Violence from the Religious Perspective, which had only one woman in the panel.

NASFAT FCT (Nigerian society that caters for the spiritual, practical needs of young, educated, and upwardly mobile Muslims) and Zonal Missioner chief Imam Sharafudeen Abdulsalam Aliagan termed rape and other forms of sexual violence as crime against humanity.  

Mr Aliagan said: “According to the Holy Book of Koran, rape is a shameful act and is equivalent to waging a war against humanity.”

Sheik Muhammad Bin Uthman attributed the rise in sexual violence to men abandoning their parental obligations and leaving the responsibility of moral upbringing of their children sorely to women.

RESPECT FOR WOMEN

“As things are, there are no people sitting the boys down to mentor them on various issues including respect for women. Collective responsibility to deal with the adolescent and mentor them as they grow up is lacking,” he said.

Archbishop Joseph Oche Job of the Methodist Church in Abuja, Nigeria, said it is the responsibility of both parents to take care of their children.

The Archbishop said his church has tailored sessions for boys and girls where they are taught on respect and good morals.

“We also invite counsellors to give professional guidance,” he said.

Nigeria’s Communications and Digital Economy Minister Dr Isa Ali Pantami termed the situation on the ground worrying.

“Good upbringing is the only solution to challenges we are facing in society today. Each one of us shares a blame for the current situation,” he said.

He added that parents, the government, elders and religious leaders have a responsibility to ensure young boys and girls are brought up in the right way and in accordance with God’s teachings.

During the discussion, dressing emerged as a reason that could be fuelling rape and sexual violence against women. However, participants unanimously concurred that dressing should not be a justification for rape.

They underscored the need for parents to be their children's mentors by way of setting an example.   
The religious leaders agreed that blame games will not help to end the problem but rather, dealing with the social vices affecting the society.

PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

Ms Saudati Mahdi, a gender activist and only woman who participated in the webinar said there is need for collective responsibility among stakeholders to tame the increasing sexual violence.

She said mode of dressing cannot be used as a justification for sexual violence.
“The fact that both parents are working does not mean they cannot set time to be with their children,” she added.

Pastor Taiwo Awosika attributed increased uptake of pornographic materials and drugs among the youth to a surge in sexual violence.

“Our boys are increasingly becoming addicted to phonographic materials like magazines and videos which are in turn orienting them to view women as sex objects,” the pastor said.

He also decried the slow pace of justice for victims of sexual violence due to the long process of administering justice.

“It is unfortunate we rarely see convictions of rapists and defilers. Most of the cases take years to be concluded which is denying justice to the victims. We need to see these cases expedited and perpetrators convicted to deter those harbouring these evil thoughts,” said Mr Awosika.