The Consent Workshop Sexual Assault: Why We Must Expand Our Definition of Sex

Sexual Assault: Why We Must Expand Our Definition of Sex

Bernard Dayo

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, an annual campaign to raise awareness on the issue of sexual violence while also focusing on prevention education. Depending on how one is exposed to the media, sexual assault is quite the topical staple: in news headlines, on social media, plot devices in movies, and so on. The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements did play a part in normalising conversations around harassment and sexual abuse, helping survivors to speak freely on their pain and trauma, and attempted to hold perpetrators accountable. Be that as it may, statistics still paint a grim picture. Globally, about 1 in 3 (30%) of women worldwide have been subjected to… Read More

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The Consent Workshop TCW Chat: Mbali Shongwe

TCW Chat: Mbali Shongwe

Frank Ugo

In 2019, we started TCW Chat, a series of conversations with various people discussing topics around consent, sexual assault and the intersection of their work and life around these topics. During that time, we had Olutimehin Adegbeye tell us a little about consent in low-income neighbourhoods in Nigeria, Dayo Adedapo told us about toxic masculinity and Jade Bentil told us a little about feminism and the representation of black women in media. We took a break in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic and this year, we are back, better and more consistent. Every month, we’ll pick someone and talk about these urgent topics in the hope that one way… Read More

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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

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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

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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

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