A group of youths in Akure, the Ondo State capital, held a demonstration on Friday in which they condemned sexual abuse and domestic violence against women in the state and in Nigerian society as a whole.
The group, mostly undergraduate students, rallied in a peaceful march through the popular Oba Adesida Road asking women to speak out against sexual molestation.
Moyinoluwa Adeshipe, the founder of Kick Against Molestation Initiative, said 90 percent of women in Nigerian society have experienced molestation.
“I was a victim of sexual molestation at the age of 9 and now I am a living testimony and have been sharing my stories with these young girls so that they can also learn from it,” she said.
In his words, Comrade Olumide Adabayo, noted that domestic violence is a serious crime and should be rightly condemned by Nigerian society.
He called on women to report any case of sexual abuse to the authorities rather than staying quiet.
Another activist, Ewatomilola Emiola Owoye, said the government at all levels should work to prevent violence against women.
Ms. Owoeye explained that the reported cases of sexual molestation against women have become rampant and queried why the government has refused to come out with concrete laws that could punish the abusers.
“Enough is enough of all these forms of abuse. Our women should always speak out rather than hiding because of shame or victimization,” she added.
She advocated for the passage of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) and also called on the government to implement the Child Rights Act.
Ahmed Kehinde, another activist at the protest, said the group would continue to sensitize women to always speak out in the face of molestation and abuse.
