#Impact365: This group of young women are fighting to end rape

Stand to End Rape (STER) is an Non-governmental organization led by a number of young women who are using social media and other conventional ways to end rape in Nigeria.

In this interview with YNaija’s #Impact365 series, the STER team talks about the issue of rape in our society and how they are working to end rape.

  1. Could tell us more about your NGO, Stand to End Rape? 

Stand to End Rape (STER) Initiative is a movement (of survivor and non-survivors) demanding justice, access and change. Founded in 2014, we are a youth-led not-for-profit organisation promoting Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for adolescents, advocating against sexual violence, supporting survivors with various services, while working to change community perceptions through advocacy.

Over the course of two years, STER Initiative has doggedly pushed her aim in creating awareness about the effects of sexual assault and stigmas associated with it in Nigeria via education, as well as continued support for survivors of rape and other forms of sexual assault. The organisation has achieved a considerable amount of work in challenging many of the archaic and harmful stereotypes that have dominated the conversations about sexual assault and have as a result perpetuated a culture of shame and victim blaming within Nigerian society.

More than organization, STER Initiative has become a platform young people use to report and take actions on cases of gender-based violence; most especially rape in their various locations as well as grow serve as a support system for survivors of sexual violence.

Since inception, STER Initiative has supported over 200 rape survivors in Nigeria, engaged in awareness/advocacy projects as well as community outreaches in three (3) cities Lagos/Osun/Abuja. We have been featured in International Conferences and publications. Our most recent feature being Guardian Nigeria as one of the 16 leading women-led organisations changing the lives of Nigerian women and girls. STER Initiative is currently based in Lagos and Abuja with aspirations to expand into other locations in the coming years.

  1. What led to its formation?

In 2013, cases of sexual violence graced the covers of various traditional media, however, it seemed it was only reported for the sole purpose of news with no concrete taken or follow-up on the survivors stated. Out of a growing concern fuelled by personal experiences, in September 2013, as a means of helping survivors break the silence and linking them up with hospitals/psychologists for help, STER Initiative was formed. Upon launch, we embarked on our first activity (a social media campaign) tagged ‘Speak Out’; an online platform specifically created for survivors upon counselling to share their experience and break the very hold of silence placed on them. After which, we hosted a weekly discussion where several guests spoke on various components on sexual violence.
With an outpouring number of survivors reached, it was clear there was more to be done. Hence in March 2014, we organized a Re-Orientation Walk where we chose specific areas between Ogba and Agege holding traders from the three major tribes – Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. The walk was aimed at understanding their ideology on rape and giving them a reorientation. This was simply a ‘market survey’, which clearly showed that giving survivors a platform to share alone was not going to solve the problem if the key population that form the abusers had archaic and myopic ideas of the constituents of sexual violence, consent and stigmatization.

In June 2014, the movement was officially registered to have a formal structure with programmes that do not only affect survivors, but will steer the need for behavioural change in Nigeria. STER Initiative was formatted for survivors to have a network/movement they can get help from as well be emboldened to join and demand for change in their various communities.

 

  1. Could you tell us some of your programmes to end rape?

Our programmes are under four (4) categories: awareness, advocacy, prevention and support services. Albeit sexual violence is a core aspect of our programming, our program is howbeit not restricted to this.

In 2014, among various activities we engaged in, we worked in a community in Ede, Osun State with support from UNFPA Nigeria and Young Men’s Network against GBV on the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) where there has been improved sense of awareness of the social and health consequences of the practice girls. This also led to a general awareness campaign on the need to eliminate this across using traditional media.

In September 2015, STER Initiative led an online awareness campaign tagged ‘’Add Your Voice’’ which had about 10 million impressions on social media and in April 2016, the campaign ‘’Behind the Smile’’ which highlighted the individual stories of survivors and the trauma they wear everyday albeit they seem fine.

For advocacy, we are keen about translating Laws into functional structures that protect women and girls from all forms of violence. Currently, we are advocating for the Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill and the Sexual Harassment Prohibition Bill alongside several other Civil Society Organizations and concerned citizens. These legal frameworks will help protect, promote and defend women in all spheres.

Prevention is in two dimensions; we seek to empower young people and adults with self-defence skills as this a very key mechanism, while also acknowledging the very essence of preventing every form of sexual violence lies in behavioural change. Using education and religious leaders are two factors that can be very instrumental in ending the scourge.

  1. So far have you made any impact with or through your works?

Our benchmark for measuring for measuring “impact” is an environment where the culture of silence is completely eradicated, sexual violence not condoled and women and children are free from all forms of gender-based violence, which we will continue to work towards. One of the challenges to achieving this being the lukewarm attitude of mandated the authorities to swiftly act on cases and giving prosecution – hence we only securing one prosecution in two years.

It is however important to recognize some of our efforts. In 2015, increasing frequency rape is discussed, which a few years back was not the case. Since STER Initiative’s inception, the organization to some extent expanded the knowledge on the rape discourse to accommodate situations that were previously ignored, on rape has continually been on the front-burner with more interested parties lending their voice to the cause, which has improved the confidence of survivors to break the silence and access help. This earned an award for the Best Use of Social Media by an NGO in Africa at the Social Media Awards Africa in 2015.

We have supported survivors who reach out to us with psychosocial and legal support and have referred cases to other organisations where we currently do not have a presence as an organization.

We have been engaged in advocacies that have yielded results. Two of such efforts are the #FreeEseOsusu and #PasstheVAPPBill. With support from the public, Miss Ese Oruru gained her freedom from captivity under the disguise of “(child marriage)”, while the latter was targeted at ensuring the passage of the Violence against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Bill in May 2015 under the auspices of a youth network; #Choice4Life Advocates.

We have been to several communities working directly with traditional leaders and parents to advocate for the education of the girl-child with a need to incorporate comprehensive sexual education. In Primary and Secondary schools, we have held interactive sessions on rape, its fall out issues and the role of society: boys and parents, which has seen an improved sense of awareness on what constitutes rape and the need to end it. On the government front, we have demanded from the Lagos State Government Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development on the need for more and effective rape safe spaces, implementation of the law – most especially the Violence against Persons’ Prohibition (VAPP) Act, prompt prosecution and grassroots advocacy among other issues.

  1. How has the public reacted to the STER initiative?

The response has been overwhelming. From the time it started as an online initiative to the point of becoming a formal structure, we have received outpouring support from the public. As a matter of fact, the public actually fund the initiative through the donation of their time, skills and resources. STER Initiative has become a movement for everyone. One where people can air their opinion and feel like a part of a community driving change gradually.

In 2014, the hashtag #StandtoEndRape was one of the most influential social movement people used to educate, enlighten and deliberate on any issue of rape. With reference to our campaigns, the amount of positive feedback we have received has shown that the public are interested in ending rape and align with our aim.

With this being said, this also poses some challenges as people have come to see STER Initiative as their first stop to report cases, to get factual understanding of certain issues surrounding sexual violence. This then keeps us at our toes to continually ensure we deliver on our brand promise regardless of the existing challenging structures.

 

  1. Do you also rehabilitate victims of sexual abuse and assault?

Although we cannot return the survivor’s condition to its original state, we ensure the clients we work with are able to cope with the reality in a safe and comfortable manner, while ensuring they do not have to stay within such abusive environments. Just recently, we commenced a weekend therapy session for survivors which will ensure that nobody misses out on the chance to heal from the horrific experience they have faced.

For services we do not provide – as it is not within our capacity or framework – survivors are linked with organizations that provide such services and ensure immediate action is taken.

  1. In our society, it is often difficult to believe that men too are victims of sex crimes. Do you advocate for male rape too?

Forced sex is not gender-specific. Though it disproportionately affects women more, recent cases have indicated that a significant proportion of victims of rape or sexual violence incidents in general are males. Perhaps the reduced number of male rape cases reported can be attributed to the disbelief, this however does not negate the reality of its existence. There is a certain culture of “ego” that seeks to portray men as “weak” if and when they express their emotions especially when it relates to abuse.

While the numbers of boys who get abused varies based on States, most statistics suggests that 10-20 percent of males will be sexually violated at some point in their lifetime. Like some female survivors, most male survivor never report cases of abuse as they fear being ignored, mocked or seen as weak as they were not “man enough” to protect themselves.

As with females, many males are assaulted within closed environments like homes, schools, religious institutions, prisons often by people they know such as relatives, friends among others, while sometimes strangers are the perpetrators. Similar to women, rape affects men psychologically and emotionally, though the physical damage varies compared to that of females. We need to start recognizing the presence of male survivors and acknowledging their unique experience.

At STER Initiative, we continually make effort to change this narrative. Most significantly, our advocacy and campaign leaves no gender out! On several cases, we have addressed and raised awareness on rape of males using the first case we handled – male on male assault – as an organization as a point of reference.

  1. Could you tell us about your future plans?

Albeit we continually strive to achieve a sexual violence free environment, one of the long-term goals of STER Initiative is to have shelters across Nigeria that help women (and their children if necessary) in abusive and harmful situations (particularly environments where sexual abuse/assault has happened/is happening/could possibly happen given past experiences) transition from said situations to this temporary haven and from there to a permanent, safe environment of their own. This initiative is not only to harbour them, but to ensure while they are within our space, they are linked with services they deem fit to assist them financially. Hereby, ensuring they do not return to their abuser due to financial dependency.

These centres will cater her programs and workshops towards schools, communities, religious organizations among others.

Unfortunately, the current legal and societal framework makes that dream seem unbelievably tough, and we are looking into the logistics, costs and legal requirements of providing such a safe haven for women in danger; first in the city of Lagos, and then hopefully to very many more.

We hope to improve on our rape prevention programs.

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