7 Nigerian Organizations Fighting Against Rape And Sexual Assault
Everything is so crazy right now. I can’t even count the number of rape cases that have come out within this past week. It is so sad and upsetting that women have to go through such horrendous and traumatic experiences. Nobody deserves to go through that kind of pain.
With everything happening, I know that a lot of people are trying to find various ways to help. That’s why I’ve come up with a list of organizations that you can donate to. These organizations are working tirelessly to fight against rape and sexual assault and they could use all the help they can get. So please make sure to read through this list, for more information on each one, you can visit their websites. If you can’t donate, you can help by volunteering your time and you can also reach out to these organizations and ask them for ways you can help.
These organizations also help victims who have been raped or sexually assaulted, through counseling, therapy, practical support, and also by providing the medical care needed.
1. Stand To End Rape
STER is a youth-led non-governmental organization that advocates against sexual violence and works directly with survivors of sexual and gender abuse, providing them with psychosocial support. Five years ago, Ayodeji Osowobi, founder and executive director of STER, established the organization in response to what she describes as a gap in sexual violence prevention and response in Nigeria.
2. The Consent Workshop
In July 2018, Uche Umolu, founder and executive director of TCW, started a Twitter conversation that encouraged rape survivors to share their stories and expose their perpetrators. It was a huge success. So much so that people reported her account forcing Twitter to permanently suspend it. Riding on that wave, Umolu started TCW the following month. TWC was created to deconstruct rape culture through consent education, increased awareness of sexual violence, and the provision of resources.
3. Mirabel Center
The Mirabel Center is the first Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Nigeria that provides holistic medical and psychosocial services to survivors of sexual assault and rape. The center’s services are available to women, men, and children and include free and comprehensive medical, counseling and aftercare services. The Mirabel Center also provides support and information on reporting matters to the police; information on the legal system; and referrals to agencies who provide support in areas not covered by Mirabel.
4. Women At Risk Foundation
WARIF tackles sexual and gender-based violence through healthcare service, community outreach, and educational programs. The women at risk foundation runs a rape crisis center where they help victims through immediate medical intervention, psychological support, legal support, and social welfare services. They also have a 24-hour crisis helpline.
5. The Cece Yara Foundation
The Cece Yara Foundation is a child-centered non-profit organization focused on preventing child sexual abuse and access to care, information, protection, and emergency intervention for children who have experienced sexual abuse or who are at risk. The Foundation provides psycho-social, legal and medical support for children through a 24-hour free child telephone helpline (0800 800 8001) and has a multi-disciplinary team of counselors, social workers, child advocates, lawyers and forensic interviewers who work with government agencies in the investigation, intervention, and prosecution of child sexual abuse cases.
6. Hands Off Initiative
Hands Off Initiative is a not for profit organization that was created to solve the problem of rape, sexual abuse, assault, and harassment by starting from the grassroots. Their goal is to break the cycle of abuse and address the systemic problem of rape, sexual abuse, and assault in our societies.
7. Genesis House
Genesis House is a female residential rehabilitation and resource center that primarily focuses on transforming the lives of commercial sex workers and other vulnerable women who have been either trafficked, abused, or exploited. The organization works with women between the ages of 18 and 25. The center provides physical and mental therapy to its registered women, while also teaching them vocational skills from which they can earn a living.
