How media encourage subjugation of women, other negative vices

Women That Cover Up For Rapist Husbands Would Be Charged To Court
Resource person and Chief Responsible Officer, X2DTV, Omoba Deji Irawo, has blamed the media for encouraging the subjugation of Nigerian women, assault against women and toxic masculinity with negative songs, movies and messages spewed out daily.

Speaking at Wfm 91.7 Safe Space Conversations 2.0, themed Rape Culture And How To Combat It, Irawo said, “Our media cannot be feeding our young women and men these negative messages constantly and be surprised at what is happening these days. Men have been conditioned to believe that they have a right to women’s bodies and cannot be rejected by women. The way we socialise our boys is wrong, right from when they’re young. They get their sexual education from porn videos, friends and the streets. Men’s ego and upbringing in our society needs to be changed and unfortunately, there is no re-orientation of our boy children going on. Nobody is intentionally starting with the boy-child from infancy to raise cultured men. We all need to begin to re-address how we bring up the boy-child. Parents must start teaching their children not to be too familiar with domestic staff, teachers and male relatives. Parenting must be done right especially with male children so we can raise wholesome adults.”

The Director of Research and Programme Development, National Agency for Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Godwin Morka who, represented the Director-General, NAPTIP, Julie Okah-Donli at the webinar, lamented that too much emphasis is being placed on raising the girl-child, leaving the boy-child to be raised by themselves or the streets.

He bemoaned the fact that rape, especially of minors, is on the increase, but opined that the recently created Sexual Offenders’ Register would help to dissuade potential rapists and effectively punish convicted rapists.

“We are trying to engage medical doctors, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Guild of Medical Doctors and other medical workers on the proper treatment of rape/assault victims free of charge and getting rape kits in hospitals across the country.

“As from now, women that cover up for their rapist husbands would be charged as accomplices to the rape and tried alongside the rapist and would face jail time as well. Sadly, there are no organisations in the country rehabilitating sexual predators, this is very sad and dangerous as these set of people are not getting the help they clearly an urgently need.”

Irawo urged women to stop living in denial and mean it when they say enough is enough.

“It pains me to say that women are great perpetrators of shame and keep perpetuating harmful, dangerous stereotypes. Mothers, please stop forcing your daughters into bad relationships and forcing them to stay in bad marriages, you’re only doing more harm than good and you’ll be lucky if they don’t end up harmed or worse, dead.”