‘Men can’t be raped’, other myths debunked in guide for sexual violence survivors

As part of efforts to support survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence, Abuja-based human rights organisation, Invictus Africa, has released The Survivor’s Guide, a practical guide for survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence.

The guide was launched on Wednesday in commemoration of the ongoing 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

According to the communications officer of the organisation, Tawakalit Kareem, the guide is developed as part of Invictus Africa’s ongoing Prevention, Accountability Support (PAS) Project aimed at preventing Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) through capacity development, demanding accountability from duty bearers using empirical evidence and providing support to survivors through access to relevant resources.

“The Survivor’s Guide is a no-fluff, realistic, hands-on guide created to support survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as they navigate the period after sexual violence, whether in the decisions they must make immediately or the actions they may take years after. ”

“Through this guide, survivors will know: the relevant terms, the myths and lies around SGBV, what to do and not do if raped or sexually abused, how and where to get help, and their rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999), the Violence Against Persons Prohibitions (VAPP) Act (2015), the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (2015), and other extant laws,” she stated.

The Survivor’s Guide accompanies the Orange Pages, which Invictus Africa launched in July, containing contact details of over 200 SGBV responders and service providers across all states in Nigeria.

“Through these resources – Orange Pages, The Survivor’s Guide, and others that we have developed and will develop – we want to make sure that SGBV survivors are never left stranded by ensuring they have access to simple, friendly, and easy-to-use tools that can provide them with the relevant information they may need at any time,” Ms Kareem added.

The newly launched guide can be downloaded here.

Myths debunked

Apart from pointing sexual violence survivors to ways they can get justice, the 42-page guide touched on some myths and misconceptions about SGBV.

For instance, it was noted that it is untrue that men cannot be raped.

“Consent is not gendered. This means that women are not the only ones who can, and should, consent to sexual relations. It is a lie that men cannot be raped, or that men want to have sex every single time. Touching men inappropriately on their chest, face, penis, or other private parts of their body without their consent is sexual assault,” the guide reads.

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES, Ofim Kelechi, a gender rights activist working with TechHer, said one of many injustices meted out against survivors of sexual and gender-based violence is the lack of access to information.

“It’s even more tragic to note the widespread dearth of adequate awareness and knowledge of the help and support available to them. This has pretty much enabled tragically avoidable incidents to persist. In many cases, survivors end up with critical health complications, and in others, they even lose their lives.”

Mr Kelechi further stated that beyond ensuring a decent SGBV response for survivors, the guide is crucial for everyone, even perpetrators or would-be perpetrators of SGBV, in terms of prevention.

“It outlines as well as rebuffs widespread SGBV myths and does an excellent job of clearly spelling out the consequences of the SGB menace in the lives of survivors and society at large.”

“I commend the folks at Invictus Africa for this initiative. They’ve been very deliberate in their approach to this issue. This guide followed the Orange Pages launched earlier in the year, a detailed directory of service providers across Nigeria. It also shows their clear commitment to eradicating SGBV in society.”