When Nigerian Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, it reignited a longstanding debate, Do Nigerian legal guidelines genuinely shield girls from sexual harassment?
Akpoti-Uduaghan alleged that Akpabio made undesirable advances in December 2023. He denied it. She took formal steps, submitting a petition. However the petition was dismissed on technical grounds. Then, in an surprising flip, she was suspended for six months—on unrelated misconduct fees, in keeping with the Senate.
The backlash was speedy. Girls took to the streets. Activists voiced their outrage. The message was clear: girls in Nigeria nonetheless wrestle to be heard after they converse up towards highly effective males.
The authorized actuality
Nigeria has legal guidelines towards sexual harassment. The Violence In opposition to Individuals (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) criminalizes sexual harassment. The Prison and Penal Codes additionally handle it. Some states have even handed stricter legal guidelines. However do these legal guidelines actually work in follow? That’s the place the issue lies.
Survivors who report harassment usually discover themselves trapped in a system designed to silence them. Instances are dismissed on procedural grounds. Investigations stall. And when a lady does come ahead, she dangers dealing with backlash, profession setbacks, and even public ridicule.
Why girls don’t report
Many victims don’t even report sexual harassment. Why? As a result of the associated fee is just too excessive. In workplaces, they worry dropping their jobs. In politics, they danger profession suicide. In communities, they face judgment. The system, as a substitute of defending them, usually punishes them.
Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan’s suspension is a chilling instance. Although her suspension was formally not linked to her allegations, the timing raised eyebrows. It despatched a message: talking out comes with penalties. And that message makes many ladies suppose twice earlier than coming ahead.
The decision for change
For Nigerian legal guidelines to actually shield girls, enforcement should match laws. It’s not sufficient to have legal guidelines on paper. Authorities should act on circumstances, regardless of who’s accused.
Victims should really feel protected reporting incidents with out worry of retaliation. And above all, Nigerian society should cease treating sexual harassment as a minor problem—it’s a violation that impacts careers, psychological well being, and ladies’s means to take part totally in society.
Till these modifications occur, the query stays: do Nigerian legal guidelines shield girls? Or do they only exist as phrases with no actual energy?
