President Muhhammadu Buhari’s Daughter Launches Foundation Against Sexual Violence

Daughter of President Muhhammadu Buhari, Hanan, has launched the Hanan Buhari Foundation over the weekend in Abuja to tackle sexual violence in Nigeria, saying despite the widespread outcry over the rising cases of rape in Nigeria, there seems to be no end to the menace.

Ms Buhari said Nigeria’s rape culture has been in existence and tolerated for decades and often shrouded in secrecy due to ingrained patriarchal sex stereotypes, structural and systemic oppression women face, not to talk of the prevailing social norms and media portrayal that culturally treat women as sex objects and discourages open sexuality discussion, and stigmatizes women who dared to speak out.

According to her, 2018 statistical report on women and men in Nigeria using data obtained from Nigeria Police Force and Ministry of Justice revealed that the rape incidences for women and girls is on an increasing trend from 63% in 2015 to 72.1% in 2016 and 69.3% in 2017. Despite increase in activism, cases of rape are still grossly underreported. According to data from Nigeria’s National Anti-Trafficking Agency, only about 32 cases were reported between 2019 and 2020 for fear of stigmatisation.