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International Journal of
Population Studies Physical sexual violence in Sub-Saharan Africa

of the survivors were single (85%), coming from different private universities in Enugu, South-East Nigeria, Agbaje
parts of the country. Those from within Nairobi (86.2%) et al. (2021) reported bullying and sexual harassment rates
were mainly from Kibera (42%), an urban slum, and those of 53.5%, and 40.5%, respectively. Also reported from the
outside the capital came from Kiambu, Kitale, Kitengela, same study are unwanted sexual attention (25.6%) and
and Kitui (3.4% each). While the study did not adduce the sexual coercion (26.6%). These statistics excluded other
reason for the prevalence of sexual violence in Kibera, the violence such as bullying, workplace incivility, and so on
study showed that 50% of the sexual violence perpetrators (Agbaje et al., 2021). The descriptive cross-sectional study
are regular males living in the same neighborhood as the in 2018 among 412 healthcare workers at a University
victims (Kosgei et al., 2021). It is thus crucial to understand Teaching Hospital (in Nigeria) indicated that sexual abuse
the social issues around the prevalence of sexual assaults was reported by 8 (1.9%), with 114 (55.6%) reporting
against single females by known assailants within the relatives as perpetrators, and 48 (23.4%) indicating staff
communities. members as perpetrators (Chinawa et al., 2020). In Lagos
state, one cross-sectional study identified sexual violence
3.2.4. Nigeria experience
(54.6%), physical (52.3%), verbal assault (41.5%), and
Although there are a couple of studies on generic sexual online sexual harassment (45.4%) among 130 female
violence in Nigeria, information on its different types and respondents (mean age 26.9 ± 8.7 years) in low-income
forms is relatively scanty. Nigeria is ranked 135 in the communities in the state and that only one out of three
th
world’s rape statistics (Wisevoter, 2023). An analysis of victims had the courage to report their experiences to the
data covering 1766 females (aged 13 – 24) from a 2014 police (Wada et al., 2022).
survey on violence against children in Nigeria reported
that women who endorsed beliefs about patriarchal In a study involving 178 gynecological cases conducted
sexual decision-making or ever attended school were in Makurdi, Benue State in the North Central Nigeria,
more likely to experience lifetime sexual violence (De rape incidence was 25.8% (46 cases) with the majority
Veauuse et al., 2022). In a study on the trends of rape of the victims under the age of 12 (39.1%). Those aged
cases in Nigeria using a 2014 – 2016 survey report, Idoko 13 – 18 years comprise 34.8% of the sample, with an
et al. (2020) reported that the highest rape prevalence is overwhelming majority of the victims (84.4%) having a
common among young people aged 13 years and above primary school education level and being residents with
and that out of the 463 individuals covered in the study, both parents in urban environment (Utoo et al., 2018).
89.7% had experienced rape or defilement, and 3.1% Furthermore, only 4.3% of victims were married at the time
and 4.3% had experienced attempted rape and sexual of the survey, with 39.1% of them being single and 56.5%
assault, respectively (Idoko et al., 2020). Another report being children (Utoo et al., 2018). In a household-based
indicated that one out of three girls and women are survey in two states of Nigeria, 22.0% of women in Cross
vulnerable to sexual abuse before they attained 25 years River and 9.0% in Bauchi reported that they experienced
(Nextier Development Foundation[Reliefweb], 2023). IPV during their last pregnancy (Ansari et al., 2017).
Njoku & Akintayo (2021) reported vulnerability of girls At the far north, a study highlighted that among the
and women to sexual exploitation even from supposedly 393 female participants (aged 15 – 49) in an hospital-
defenders of their rights such as security force personnel based study (General Out Patient Clinic of Aminu Kano
including the aid workers (Njoku & Akintayo, 2021). Out Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria), the prevalence of IPV
of 350 female adolescent students (aged 10 – 19) who had before the survey period was 42.0% and sexual violence
participated in a self-administered questionnaire survey was 21.9% (Tanimu et al., 2016). In addition, another
in Lagos (Nigeria), relatively half (42.9%) of them had study showed that among 240 antenatal pregnant women
had sexual intercourse (sexual debut = 17 years), 15.8% selected in clinics in Oyo state (Nigeria), 38.1% of them
reported forced sexual initiation, 36.3% reported that had been sexually harassed, not including the victims of
first intercourse was coerced, and 18% who were sexually other forms of abuses and violences (Ilori et al., 2023).
active (64.1% out of the 350 respondents) had been raped
(Odeyemi et al., 2016). 3.2.5. Global context

The rape prevalence cut across regions within Nigeria. While the study is exclusively meant for four countries
Past records as at 2012 for Nigeria indicated that the South- in Sub-Saharan Africa, a global comparison might be
South could be the region with the highest rape cases in insightful for understanding the general context of the
Nigeria (10%), followed by North-East (6%), North-West topic. The literature highlighted that, globally, four out of
(4%), and North-Central (3%) (Adabembe, 2022). In a study five women and eight out of 10 men have experienced rape
on workplace GBV among 339 female staff from public and before they attained age 25 while half of the female victims

Volume 10 Issue 3 (2024) 52 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0621