The Consent Workshop How the Nigerian Justice System Fails Women

How the Nigerian Justice System Fails Women

The Consent Workshop

Statistically, one in every four girls in Nigeria have experienced some form of sexual assault by the time they are 18 years of age. Nigerian Society has been so desensitized to hearing stories of rape, that for the most part no one is in shock anymore. Victims have a hard time speaking up for fear of retaliation and shame yet the Nigerian Justice system clearly defines rape as a criminal offence. Enforcers of the law in the form of the police force, maintain a roster of misogynistic officers who not only demand ‘motivation’ to get involved in cases, but they end up compounding cases and doing nothing to alleviate the… Read More

Continue Reading
The Consent Workshop Understanding Sexual Grooming

Understanding Sexual Grooming

The Consent Workshop

  By: Tolu Ojeshina Tolu is a development practitioner, writer, and volunteer at The Consent Workshop. She is passionate about dialogue and conversations that promote the development, advancement, and protection of women.  Sexual grooming is a preparatory process in which a perpetrator gradually gains a person’s trust with the intent to be sexually abusive. It involves laying a foundation for sexual abuse or rape by building a relationship with a victim over time. The rationale for grooming, is to ensure that there are no repercussions for sexual violence, because the victim either trusts you enough to believe abuse did not occur, or thinks reporting/ asking for help is a betrayal… Read More

Continue Reading
The Consent Workshop Consent in Queer Relationships

Consent in Queer Relationships

The Consent Workshop

  More often than not, queer people are excluded from a lot of conversations – conversations about relationships, consent and a host of others. For our #21DaysOfConsent campaign, we spoke to some queer people to understand what they thought about queer relationships, rape and sexual abuse, consent and existing in Nigeria generally. We spoke to Desmond who is gay, Temilade who is lesbian, Victor who is gay and Adaeze who is bisexual and here’s what they told us Hey guys! Thanks for being here. What would you say consent is to you? Vincent: Consent to me is when someone enthusiastically agrees to engage in sexual activities without their agreement being forced… Read More

Continue Reading
The Consent Workshop RAPE: THE LONG-LASTING PANDEMIC

RAPE: THE LONG-LASTING PANDEMIC

The Consent Workshop

By: Tolu Ojeshina Tolu is a development practitioner, writer, and volunteer at The Consent Workshop. She is passionate about dialogue and conversations that promote the development, advancement, and protection of women. Pandemic (pan·deh·muhk): an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population.  2, 7, 12, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 70 and 85.  Can you guess what these numbers represent?  If you guessed lottery numbers, you’re wrong.  Any other guesses? Okay, I’ll help.  These are the ages of women who have been brutally raped and, in some cases, murdered in Nigeria in the last few months. Its important… Read More

Continue Reading
The Consent Workshop Honouring Victims and Survivors of Rape

Honouring Victims and Survivors of Rape

The Consent Workshop

  Beacons Of Hope And Not Hashtags.  Although their names have become known after death, their stories told after death, the world awake after death, Uwaila, Barakat, Azeezat, Faith Jude and many others who were robbed of their lives were full of life and aspirations before they became hashtags and topics of necessary discussions that should have happened ages ago. Their lives were canvasses of brightness, love, dreams, and even struggles before they became memories. In the midst of the chaos, they have left behind family, friends, and a community of people that will like to remember them as living, breathing beacons of hope. Now and forever we remember:  … Read More

Continue Reading