Crime against humanity with women as victims. The Akwa Ibom women states experience (1980-2009).

INTRODUCTION

    Crime is an ever-present phenomenon in the society, the issue of crime is very much inevitable in the human society, it affects everybody and that of socio-economic development. Crime against humanity affects majority of the masses with women as the major victims. This is because women are the weaker sex.

    The thrust of this work therefore, is to throw light on the crime against women in the Nigerian set up, using the Akwa Ibom State women experience in (1980-2009). The study is also meant to draw the attention of NGO(s) to the problems imposed by crime on women and these outdated practices in the name of culture and implore them (women) to rise to the challenge that the main hope for women is they (women) themselves must come together and collectively work to gain their rights.

    Many women in the world, most especially the Akwa Ibom women face extreme poverty, discrimination and in human treatment most especially the widows. Armed conflict in the recent past has increased the member of widows and has made their plight even worse. The widows were impoverished as they were miserably deprived of their social security and family support. The tragedy about the whole scenario is that, many widows are denied access to essential resources such as shelter, food and clothing in addition, a common feature of widowhood is the violence perpetrated against them at the hands of relatives.

    Women suffer a range of social, economic, legal and cultural problems depending on the traditions, customary law and prevailing social attitudes of the societies they belong to.

    Christie Fernando (2002) asserts that;

Women, especially widows are victims of patriarchal and discriminatory practices and prejudice. They are marginalized and exploited by their societies and they suffer from reduced social status. They become the property of their in-laws. They are sometimes prevented from remarrying according to their own free will and can be forced into marriage with one member of the family. (They can be inherited like properties). They are prohibited from remarrying or even disempowered in child bearing. They are often victims of violence especially of sexual violence.

They (women) are victims of patriarchal and discriminatory practice and prejudice. This refers to the male dominance over women. All known societies are patriarchal although the degree or character of inequalities between sexes varies considerably across and between cultures.

In Akwa Ibom over the years, women are victims of violence especially of sexual violence. The AIDS epidemic in the country and also in other parts of the world exists within world violence against women and girls. The governments have not perhaps paid attention to the many cases of sexual violence and that, it is AIDS that will force us all to look at the reality of sexual violence not only in Akwa Ibom but in other parts of the world.

One of the major crime against women is sexual violence. This refers to rape and sexual assault driven by money called sex trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse. Again, Nigeria does not have official records showing the number of sexually abused women but a survey in South Africa showed that out of 78% of HIV positive women, 78% reported they had been forced to have sex and that most sub-saharan African countries including Nigeria show that between 25% and 40% of women and girls report that their first sexual encounter was forced. Hundred of thousands of girls are sold into prostitution.

Therefore, crime against women can never be over-emphasized. This is because, women suffers series of marginalization and exploitation by men, this ranges from social, economic, legal, educational and cultural challenges which reduced the social status of women in the society. This is the exact situation in Akwa Ibom from time immemorial.

By way of recommendation, there is every need for the women to form an organization like the NGOs with the sole purpose of speaking up for them especially those who can't speak for themselves and with a lawyer and human right activist, at least to educate women on their rights.

Also, legal reforms in inheritance and land ownership rights should be enacted and enforced. Cruel, dehumanizing, repugnant and discriminatory customary laws should be abolished, women should be protected from these violations and perpetrators should be punished and that women's rights are integrated in all aspects of government policy-making agendas.

Conclusion

    Fundamentally, no government has come forward to adequately address the plight of women and to see their sustenance and livelihood. It is quite apparent that due to abject poverty and misery, they have no status and societal understanding. Neglected by social policy, researchers, International Human Rights activities and women movements (themselves), the status of women in general and the Akwa Ibom women in particular to legal, social, cultural and economic setting is an urgent issue given the extent and severity of the discrimination meted out against them. The main hope for women therefore is that, they must come together and collectively work to gain their rights.

References

Bolaji .O and Babatunde .A (1997). Challenges of women in Nigeria; Issues and prospects, printed by OVC Nig. Ltd. Lagos.

 

Christie Fernando "Plights of Widows" online edition of daily news 26^th March 2002 (lake house associated newspaper of Ceylon Ltd).

 

Okoye Pat. U (1995). Widowhood: a natural or cultural tragedy. Wucik publishers Enugu pp: 52-101.