Like most people, I have been watching the news around the world with bewilderment, and quite often horror. Not least when I heard the stories of two young ladies ... girls ... who were murdered last week. Victims of police brutality and rape. Their names were Uwaila Omozuwa, aged 22, and Tina Ezekwe, just 16.
Incidents like these are not rare in Nigeria. How many have we heard about? How many more never even became a hashtag?
Tragically, we live in a country where systemic brutality and sexual violence towards women are not only tolerated, but excused. This has to end. Now! A society in which men - of every "class" - believe they are entitled to take whatever they want, including women's bodies, is no society, and must be demolished.
We put together the following list of resources for anyone who might like to join in the fight against Nigerian women's safety:
1/ Immediately report cases of sexual violence
i/ Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT)
Dial *6820#
Text 6820
ii/ 24-hour confidential helpline for sexual violence survivors - 08092100009 (via WARIF)
2/ Report incidences to The Nigeria Sexual Offender Register
Visit: NSOD.NAPTIP.ORG.NG
Dial: *627# (Airtel)
Call: 08002255627847 (toll-free)
Or: 07030000203 (not free)
Email: reportsexoffence@naptip.gov.ng
3/ Organisations working against police brutality or sexual violence towards women
i/ Mirabel Center - 1st Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Nigeria
http://mirabelcentre.org/
08155770000
To donate:
Standard Chartered Bank
Account Name: Partnership for Justice
0001462896 (Naira Account)
0001462906 (Dollar Account)
ii/ Stand To End Rape (STER) - a youth-led NGO providing consent education and advocating for survivors of sexual violence
http://standtoendrape.org/
08095967000
To donate:
GTBank – Account Name: Stand to End Rape Initiative
0157148304 (Corporate Current Account)
0170900017 (Dollar Account)
0170899773 (Pounds Account)
0170900103 (Euro Account)
Sterling Bank – Account Name: Stand to End Rape Initiative
0031019036 (Current Account)
0031176274 (Dollar Account)
Paypal
sterabuja@standtoendrape.org
iii/ Hands Off Initiative - an NGO working to address the systemic problem of rape, sexual abuse, harassment, and assault
To donate: Access Bank0809175585 (Naira Account)0809176025 (Dollar Account)Paystack - https://paystack.com/pay/a9i18o1xuk
iv/ Women At Risk International Foundation (WARIF) - a non-profit organization founded in response to the high incidence of sexual assault, rape and human trafficking occurring amongst young girls and women across Nigeria.
www.warifng.org
08092100009
To donate:GTBank Account Name: Women At Risk International Ltd0232742469 (Naira Account)0232742476 (Dollar Account)Paystack - https://paystack.com/pay/warif
v/ ACTS Generation - Gender based NGO geared towards the Empowerment of Women and girls
http://www.actsgeneration.org/
08033951460
vi/ Women Advocates Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) - a women’s rights organization in Nigeria, which provides pro bono legal services for women’s victims of gender-based violence and other women’s rights abuse
www.wardcnigeria.org
08180056401
vii/ Women Empowerment and Legal Aid (WELA) Nigeria - NGO committed to the empowerment of women, and provision of free legal aid to women and children
https://welaonline.org/
07055802420
To donate: https://welaonline.org/checkout/
viii/ Project Alert on Violence Against Women - a non-governmental women's rights organisation set up to promote and protect the rights of women and young girls.
https://projectalertnig.org/
01-8209387
01-8708618
08052004698
08180091072
To donate: https://projectalertnig.org/donation/
