Sexual Harassment as Weapon Fashioned Against Nigerian Women
By Nafisat Bello
The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines sexual harassment as any unwanted sexual behaviour that makes someone feel upset, scared, offended, or humiliated, or is meant to make them feel that way, regardless of the setting or relationship between the perpetrator and victim.” Sexual harassment and sexual violence (rape) are both similar and are profoundly negative and traumatic life events with widespread psychological and sociological effects on the victim irrespective of their gender. It often gives rise to a wide range of negative emotions, embarrassment, and existential questions such as: “Why me?”
Despite being familiar with the Quid-Pro-Quo which involves exchanging sexual favours for a benefit or a threat, it’s quite alarming that over 81% of women fall victim of sexual harassment especially in the workplace. Yes, many are silent because they are afraid of being bullied further by the blame-the-victim crowd out there.
According to a study conducted by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 2016, over 80% of surveyed female parliamentarians had experienced psychological violence, which includes threats of death, rape, and beatings, primarily through social media channels. And more disturbingly, 20% of reported cases resulted in physical violence, while 25% experienced sexual violence.
In Nigeria for example, female politicians, government officials, journalists, and human rights defenders are exposed to such violence while carrying out their duties. Aside compromising the individual safety of those affected, it also deters other women from seeking public office and participating in politics.
The few courageous women who succeed in fighting their way through by breaking the glass ceiling do not enjoy the freedom to operate like their male counterparts. Our patriarchal society makes it extremely difficult for women to thrive. They must face battles every step of the way. We have a case of a relentless woman whose Alpha Male of a Governor destroyed the road to her constituency to stop her from emerging Senator and after going through the difficult court processes to reclaim her stolen mandate, another pervert of a presiding officer is demanding her body for him to pass her bills and let her work for her people. That is the vicious circle or a cobweb in which Nigerian women are made to operate in.
In this country, we once had a vibrant and cerebral lawmaker called Senator Iyabo Anisulowo who didn’t last in the red chamber because aggressive, violent and predatory perverts won’t let her be. At first in October 2004, the Senator representing Niger South, Isah Mohammed Bagudu, made the headlines by slapping her outside the lobby of the National Assembly. The Senate responded by suspending him for two weeks, a punishment many Nigerians felt was a slap on the wrist.
Two years later, Senator Anisulowo accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of denying her its platform to run for second term in the Senate because she denied “one of the old men” her body. As an apparent punishment for her audacity, she never made it back to the Senate and that was the end of her political career.
In July 2016, at a closed-door meeting of senators at the peak of the cold relationship between the executive arm of government and the legislative arm, an altercation ensued between Senators Dino Melaye (APC-Kogi West) and Remi Tinubu (APC-Lagos Central) which saw both lawmakers calling each other names and charging aggressively at each other. Trouble started when Senator Melaye urged the Senate to descend heavily on members who had offered to serve as prosecution witnesses in the then-forgery case against Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu.
Senator Melaye was later quoted to have threatened to rape Senator Tinubu and impregnate her. While denying the statement, the garrulous senator made another offensive comment, this time, in front of camera, saying there was no way he could have threatened to impregnate her because the woman must have entered menopause already.
Natasha’s Travails are not God’s Will
At a time most Nigerians had learnt to forget the incident where Joy Nunieh, a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), said she slapped Godswill Akpabio for sexually harassing her, the Senate President’s tendency to disrespect the female gender came to the fore again recently when he was seen screaming at Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (PDP-Kogi Central), and said: “This is not a Nightclub.”
All Nigerians of good conscience found the statement demeaning, disrespectful and distasteful. How do you a lead in a chamber and sought to shame a lady by saying “this is not a night club?” The Bible said, “from the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.” Senator Akpabio only displayed the reason parents are being urged these days to train their boys very well and bring them up in ways they will grow and treat women with dignity and respect. Even as he apologised for the statement, the misogyny in the Senate President never left him.
Another altercation ensued between the duo over seating arrangement and Natasha was seen defying him and over-reacting to what would have been a simple matter over communication and manner of approach. It was when she left the chambers, she told the world how the Senate President had been constantly harassing her sexually both within and outside the chambers. That must of course be the reason she reacted in the manner she did when she was not recognised to speak because she did not move to her new seat. According to her, Senator Akpabio had told her point black that her bills, including the one on the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, will not see the light of day if he doesn’t have his way with her. This is one allegation that is supposed to provoke Nigerians into action. But no, in this part of the world, we concentrate more on politicising everything, blaming the victim, asking her why she is speaking out at a particular time and providing escape routes for the aggressor. Even women who are supposed to be on her side will be seen shaming her, accusing her of dressing flamboyantly and causing unnecessary drama. In Nigeria, everyone waits till they become a victim of oppression before they understand.
The Senate leadership suspended her unfairly after indulging the Senate President to get away with all he did, and she now has to run around media houses across the globe to get help.
Last Line
There is no way girls in secondary school or higher institutions of learning who see Natasha as role model and have the ambition to contribute their quota to the greatness of the country would see what she is passing through right now and not think of killing such plan. This embarrassing sex scandal is happening at a time the country has a ridiculously low female representation in the National Assembly and yet, Nigerians are not concerned enough to ask the Senate President to step aside for a thorough investigation by a neutral body. Rather, we all watched the accused person sit in judgement over his own matter and suspend his victim (an elected lawmaker like himself!) and ordered the withdrawal of her security and salary…. Even in the animal kingdom, this is not possible!
There will be no end in sight to sexual harassment in the country if victims are blamed for being victims and oppressors are indulged and encouraged to keep doing what they do best. There will also be no way forward for Nigerian women to make headway in politics and governance if an amazon like Natasha has to sweat this much to be given a space to work for the wellbeing of her people.
Natasha is a fighter extraordinaire. She has so far fought a good fight. She defeated a bully in Kogi state to be where she is, and she can’t stop now. Her illegal and immoral suspension won’t stand the test of a simple litigation. As for people who are supposed to speak up but who have maintained a conspiratorial silence in the face of evil, posterity will judge them all.
