By Adeniyi Adedoyin
A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), The Spring Center (TSC) in collaboration with "Lasisi Agboola Iyiola Foundation" (LAIF), has embarked on a sensitization campaign in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, to enlighten the populace on the danger of sexual abuse.
Speaking with journalists during the campaign, the Executive Director of The Spring Centre, Damola Lapite, said the programme was organized to create awareness on the havoc that sexual assault has caused in the life of the children, especially young girls, saying that the need to prevent sexual abuse in the society should be paramount to all citizens.
He said, "we are gradually moving into the festive season, holiday season. Through the campaign, we are telling parents on the need to care for their children, to watch where they go to and also to ensure safety of the children. Adults also, should take care of themselves to prevent abuse sexually".
Dissecting the theme of the campaign, "Safe Spaces, Strong Voices", Lapite pointed out that creation of secure environment for the children by being watchful of what they do is very important, urging parents to shun the attitude of allowing the children to care for themselves.
He added that children needed to be monitored so as to prevent them from being abused sexually.
"The adult as well need to create safe spaces for themselves. Men and women, should create safe spaces for each other and ensure that you are your brother's keepers".
"Many people claim and believe that they know how to protect themselves from sexual abuse, but when you move closer to such people, you only discovered from interactions that they knew nothing. We want to take the fact to them in their homes".
While speaking on the need to create more ambassadors to speak on the menace of sexual abuse in the society, Lapite said, "we have some ambassadors doing that and when have more people doing the work, information will spread and the voice will get stronger".
Lapite, who bemoaned the culture of silence on the part of survivors of sexual abuse, noted that applying the strong voice would break the silence.
Corroborating the TSC Executive Director, the Administrative Officer, Seunfunmi Lapite, stated that the campaign was aimed to ensure that communities and society are safe from sexual abuse.
"Places that were used to be safe in few years ago are no longer safe anymore. Worship places, public places, where people keep their children when they go to work and come back to meet them safely, but now we have abuse in these places called safe spaces.
"The outreach is out to talk to people, to empower them with information that talks about prevention of sexual abuse, that talks about seeking consent before any sexual activities go on and talk about people lending their voices to the issue to ensure that stop is put to the menace in Nigeria".
She identified coming together of people as one of the keys to nip the issue in the bud as survivors would know that there are people who could speak for them in the community on any forms of sexual violence.
"A lone voice cannot go far, but when people come together to raise their voices, it becomes even more than an echo and people will know that you have one or two people in the community watching you, to let people know that they are not alone and they have people who are able to speak out for them, refer them for support services on things relating to sexual violence".
On issue of Gender based violence, she implored government to collaborate more and partner with relevant bodies like NGOs, CBOs and organisations working on the issues.
"Apart from these, government should also increase the budgets of ministries that work in these space, for example, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Health and Justices, because when it comes to sexual abuse, all these ministries collaborate to get the kind of result we are looking for" she concluded.
On her part, Oluyomi Christiana, while saying that sexual abuse is a big offense that attract punishment, called on parents to create safe space for their children.
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