#JusticeforUwa
#JusticeforBarakat

Hashtags like the above have been trending on the social media sphere quite recently. See, these are not the first set of hashtags on rape to spark outrage on social media and might certainly not be the last if something practical is not done about this pandemic. We can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a miracle, there has to be a change in the way we attack this violent crime.

Know that rapists have zero regard for age, religion, social status, dressing, et c. So it has nothing to do with how the victim was dressed, from reports Barakat was a fully-clothed victim. Neither does it have to where she went, Uwa was reading in church when she was brutally raped and murdered, Barakat was raped at home, they were not at the club or hotel nor any red-light district. It doesn’t have to do with age, a 12-year old girl was allegedly raped by 11 men on different occasions . Eleven ooo. See enough of the excuses for rapists, justifications like these are what makes them continue their reign of terror. You don’t use rape to teach a girl a lesson. What’s wrong is wrong and should not be sugar-coated. So what can we collectively do as a society to reduce this pandemic?

There Should be a Swift Justice System
Justice delayed is justice denied. According to the Criminal Code, rape is a criminal offence and if found guilty, carries a life sentence. However, prosecution and conviction of sexual offenders are extremely low. The wheels of justice grinds so slowly and takes years for someone to be granted justice. Victims can not take advantage of the laws the legal system provide, and the ones that follow up rape cases to the court level end up being frustrated by delays either due to the excess workload of the courts or those orchestrated by a party to the lawsuit as a defense tactics. Something needs to be done to ensure that justice works swiftly in favour of the victim.

Stop Guilt Tripping Rape Victims
“It was the way you dressed”, “Why did you spend the night at his place”, “You were giving him the green light” and so many other variations should stop. This constant shaming of victims, rather than the perpetrators, forces them to hide and find it hard to report cases. Even the ones that decide to speak up and report at police stations are made fun of by those who should know better. Irrespective of the poor choices made by the victim, nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies being raped. We must learn to put the blame firmly on whose head it belongs, that of the rapist. This only emboldens perpetrators to continue with their acts and contributes to under reporting of rape cases. Let’s create an enabling environment for rape victims to speak up without fear of being shamed or called names.

No More Covering Up For Rapists
See, rapists do not live in an alternate universe. They live amongst us, we laugh and gist with them. They are someone’s father, brother, son. In fact some are on social media crying out for #justiceforxyz only to go back to commit the same act on another innocent person. Parents and guardians should stop collecting money in silence for the act perpetrated on their wards. Police officers should stop negotiating monetary settlements to cover up for rape perpetrators. They deserve jail time and not soft landing. Stop covering up for your male relative who has forced himself on a stranger. See ehn he will just continue till he ends up raping you when there’s no other female close by to satisfy his crazy urge. That your “padi” that likes to brag about babes he has forced himself on does not deserve your silence. Or are you waiting till the next victim becomes your female relative before you speak up? We all must work together to reduce (or eliminate) the rape pandemic.

Stop the Stigma against Rape Victims
The fear of being stigmatized is another reason why many sexual victims refuse to speak up. Many will rather keep quiet and try to forget it ever happened than to face the stigma and backlash of coming forward with their stories. And you wonder why rapists have a field day carrying out their despicable acts? Victims do not deserve any shame for being raped, only the rapists do. Please be guided.

Re-orientation and Education
Catch them young. Whether at home, school or anywhere else adolescents should be taught about respecting others, learning boundaries, empathy and other relationship skills. Let’s not end up grooming a younger generation of rape perpetrators.

Let’s Put an End to Rape Jokes
Many make silly jokes about rape which has somehow served to water down how serious a crime it is. Jokes about how you’ll rape a babe if she ‘chops’ your money, or ladies saying stuffs like “when she says no at first she wants the guy to work harder for the cookie” and the likes should be done away with.

Reporting a Rape
At the end of the day, the police can only arrest a criminal if they are made aware of the offense. There are also non-governmental organisations that have been set up to fight for the rape victims. Many have equally taken to social media to voice out and force the Police to act. In an ideal world the Police should not have to be called out before handling rape cases, but it is what it is. If you have been a victim of rape do not change clothes nor take a shower. All physical evidence are used in court.
In summary: Silence does not equal consent, a drunk or mentally impaired lady cannot give consent, minors can never give consent (please shut the f*** up about how she seduced you).
Is there anything I’ve left out?

1: stop visiting male friends.

2: walk around with pepper spray

3: dont keep late,avoid lonely places and roads

4: if a guy approaches u and starts acting strange,raise ur voice

5: learn martial art.

6: no chop man mugu,if u no want am.

Inasmuch as I don't justify rape in any kind, girls are 90% the cause of their problems.