By Our Correspondent
There is reportedly a remarkable increase in gender -based sexual harassment cases in Anambra State, with the Women Aid Collective, WACOL, a nongovernmental organization, NGO, expressing worry that the problem seems to be shifting dangerously towards the boys, as boys now sexually rape fellow boys.
At an engagement programme organized for secondary school boys and their teachers at Comprehensive Science and Technical College, Nawfia in Njikoka local government area of Anambra State, Ifeyinwa Lilian Ofodile- Nwafor, a legal practitioner working with WACOL Anambra Office, said that her organization treated not less than 10 cases of such rape cases between 2025 and this year.
“This year alone, Hon Justice Oti handling special cases at Awka High Court made two convictions. One was a male teacher in Onitsha that raped a male student from the anus and he has been banned from being a teacher in any school, from primary to tertiary, and so, he has killed his career.
“The other conviction was that of a student at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and part of the judgment was that he should no longer continue with his education until he has served the long prison sentence.
“Last week also, we had a case of an 11- year old boy raped in the anus by a 19 year old boy who is the son of the landlord of the victim’s father at Nkpor.
“The issue with most of these cases were lack of awareness and orientation. Even the parents of the victims who are supposed to report tend to hide the information and rather go to demand for compensation when the cases get to the police”, Ofordile-Nwafor said.
She added that even when such rape cases are charged to court, WACOL is handicapped because the victims often refuse to come to give evidence.
She explained that her organization, which receives funding support from Ford Foundation Office for West Africa, also works closely with the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Education that gave approval for the programme to be organized in schools.
“So we are trying to create the awareness to let people know what gender -based violence is all about and how to prevent it.
“The essence of engaging the boys is to catch them young and acquaint them with societal abnormalities noticed among them as they grow up. We are breaking down the stereotypes and making a mindset shift for the young boys and at the end of the day, we intend to form a peer group for them so they can carry the message to others who are not participants in the programme”, she said.
Another official of WACOL, Ogochukwu Eze, in an address, said that gender -based violence has remained a serious challenge in the society, lamenting that some of the abuses are sometimes ignored, excused or regarded as normal, especially when they are presented as jokes, expressions of masculinity or demonstration of power.
She said: “We must begin to teach boys early that respect is not optional, consent is not negotiable and nobody has the right to use their strength, a position or influence to intimidate, control or harm another person.
“Being a man is not about how much power you have over others, but about how responsibly you use the power and influence you possess.
“True masculinity is demonstrated through respect, self control, empathy, accountability and the courage to stand against injustice.
“You have a responsibility to challenge harmful attitudes among your friends, reject sexual harassment, respect personal boundaries, discourage bullying and treat girls and women as individuals who deserve equal dignity and respect.”
She also reminded teachers that they are not just educators, but role models whose attitudes, words and actions, can shape how young boys understand manhood, relationships and responsibility.
According to her, by demonstrating positive masculinity and promoting respectful behavior, they could help to create a safer environment for everyone.
She added: “This engagement is not about blaming boys and men, or making them feel responsible for every act of violence. Rather, it is about recognizing that they have an important role to play in changing harmful narratives, challenging negative social norms and building a culture of respect and equality.
“We cannot build a society free from gender – based violence by leaving boys out of the conversation. We must engage them, educate them and empower them to become part of the change we want to see”.
