According to UNICEF, one in four Nigerian women are sexually abused before they turn 18. Most of these cases are not prosecuted. This is a statistic that is as disheartening as it is morbid, though recent developments in Nigeria have an aim to tackle violence against women. Specifically, for the first time ever, Nigeria has launched its national sexual offenders register. This register has been seen as an important step towards "clamping down on abuse" as it exposes the database of those who have been convicted of sexual violence crimes.
Nigeria's Minister for Humanitarian Affairs stated that a "humanitarian and security crisis in northeast Nigeria caused by a decade-long armed campaign had seen a rise in cases of sexual abuse which needed to be addressed", and the register will serve as a strategy to help halt and deter future violence. The register can be accessed by all ordinary citizens, and it is available online.
Bibliography:
“Nigeria Launches First National Sex Offenders Register.” News | Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera, 26 Nov. 2019, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/11/nigeria-launches-national-sex-offenders-register-191126063421032.html.
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