CWEENS Urges National Database to Track Sexual Offenders Amid Conflict-Driven Abuse Crisis

The Christian Women for Excellence and Empowerment in Nigerian Society (CWEENS) has made a compelling demand for the establishment of a national centralized database aimed at tracking and prosecuting sexual violence offenders, particularly in conflict-affected regions of Nigeria.

Speaking at a special gathering in Jos, Plateau State, held to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflicts, CWEENS’ National Coordinator, Professor Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, underscored that sexual violence in conflict zones has escalated into a national humanitarian emergency needing immediate intervention.

According to Prof. Para-Mallam, sexual violence is now being used systematically as a weapon of war, targeting internally displaced women, young girls, and persons living with disabilities.

“This crisis has surpassed rape and now includes emotional, physical, and economic abuse, all of which are compounded by entrenched patriarchy and increasing levels of insecurity in Nigeria,” she noted.

Prof. Para-Mallam, a long-standing gender rights advocate, emphasized that survivors of sexual abuse often endure deep psychological trauma, including depression, social rejection, and even suicidal ideation.

She noted the devastating ripple effects, stating that some women face double jeopardy — first being assaulted, then abandoned by their families, or divorced by their husbands after being raped during captivity. This leaves survivors traumatized and without the needed emotional or social support.

Citing current research statistics, she revealed that 95% of victims are female, with disabled women being particularly vulnerable. Alarmingly, 82.3% of sexual predators are people familiar to the victims, including family members, teachers, and neighbors, indicating that abuse often occurs in supposedly safe environments like homes and schools.

To address this growing crisis, CWEENS proposed several urgent solutions:

• Deployment of gender-sensitive security personnel and female-led task forces in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
• Government funding for women-led agribusiness ventures, which can help reduce poverty-induced trafficking.
• Nationwide sensitization campaigns aimed at dismantling patriarchal cultural norms that perpetuate abuse.