Medical Expert Prescribes Measures to Prevent Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, Harassment
Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
A medical expert, Daniel Bulus, has prescribed measures to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment across the country.
Bulus, who is the Social Safety Officer for Covid 19 Preparedness and Response Project (COPREP), Taraba State Ministry of Health, also recommended stricter punishment for culprits in a bid to rid the society of the menace.
A report he made available to journalists in Jalingo titled ‘Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (GBV-SEA/SH), Prevention And Punishment’ highlights existing laws and policies against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment just as it proffered measures to prevent its occurrence.
The existing laws include (i) Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act 2015 which criminalises sexual harassment, exploitation and violence; (ii) Sexual Offence Bill 2019 which prescribes punishment for sexual offences.
Others are the Criminal Code Act 1990, chapter 21 and the Penal Code Act 1990 Chapter 21 on prohibition of indecent assault, rape and other sexual offences, harassment and exploitation.
Besides laws, according to Bulus, government also formulated policies such as National Policy on Gender (2008); National Policy on Protection of Women and Children 2017 and the Nigerian Government Policy on Sexual Harassment 2019 which were all formulated to tackle the menace.
To prevent sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment, Bulus posits that ladies must be discouraged from wearing indecent dresses that exposes their private parts, saying human heart is so loose that it could be forced into action by anything that attracts it.
In the same vein, he enjoined ladies to stop loitering in lonely environments or keeping late at night, while also admonishing youths to avoid the get rich quick syndrome just as he advised men and women with high libido to control their emotion as the libido in them, if not controlled, could land them in trouble.
He appealed to the governments at all levels to ensure the implementation of the law against rapists, adding that the punishment for the offence must be stiffer, while also ensuring that all offenders are brought to book to serve as deterrent to others.
Bulus maintained that the society must continue to frown and disown anyone engaging in the act and treat such as outcasts among them, saying such treatment would go a long way to discourage people who have no shame.
He enjoined the government to empower agencies saddled with the responsibility of campaigning against sexual abuse or harassment with adequate funds to carry out their functions effectively, while advising parents not relent in inculcating moral discipline in their children at home.
The children, according to him, must be made to understand that decent men do not eat uncovered plate of food and that only ladies who are decent in their dresses and actions can be appreciated by the society and men.
