By Bukola Agbeje and Wisdom Hanson
The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. #SAAM is a month dedicated to bringing awareness to Sexual Assault and educating the community on the ills of sexual violence as it affects people physically, emotionally and psychologically.
The DEFY NETWORK is dedicated to supporting survivors of sexual violence and making sure victims are heard and giving a platform for justice. This year, the DEFY network is focused on creating a safe space and network for survivors to tell their stories, provide mental support and counseling for women and girls across Nigeria. According to InterNations which recently published the 2018 Expat Insider Survey; Nigeria is the 9th Most Dangerous Place in the world for women to live in. Our tertiary institutions are growing in the culture of lecturers asking students for sex in exchange for grades. While in some cases, consent leads to the trade of #Sex4Grades, in other cases perpetual resistance leads to an ill-fated blow back on the students and in the long run most female student compromise. In this regard we shall seek to partner with other notable organizations who are working in line with this mission of securing females from sexual violence and harassment in Nigeria. On the other hand our heart reaches to victims of sexual harassment of all sorts- from homes to schools, churches and offices, from persons who are meant to protect and from out rightly hostile enemies, we throat one voice in support of the vulnerable and their battle. You are loved, you are not to blame and you deserve to be heard.
