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COVID Fuels Surge in Sexual Violence, Child Marriage

Carol Guensburg

   Fresh out of university, Oluwaseun Ayodeji Osowobi was living in the
   southern Nigerian state of Rivers when she was sexually assaulted. A
   housemate comforted her and urged her to report the attack.

   "So, I went to the police station and it was a terrible experience,"
   Osowobi recalled.

   But, encouraged by her mother, she began blogging about the lack of
   support services in Nigeria. Other survivors echoed her concerns,
   inspiring Osowobi to launch [1]Stand to End Rape (STER). Since 2014,
   the Lagos-based nonprofit has worked to provide legal, medical and
   mental health support to survivors, encourage prosecution of their
   assailants, and change negative cultural attitudes that diminish women
   and girls.

   The goal, says Osowobi, now 30, is to "actually reduce this spate of
   sexual violence."

References

   1. file://localhost/tmp/lynxXXXXgRam7a/standtoendrape.org

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