Rape cases rampant among rural women – LASU study

A study conducted by the Rape Research Team of the Lagos State University has revealed that women in rural communities in Nigeria are more exposed to rape compared to their counterparts in urban areas.

This was one of the research findings disclosed at the recent national dissemination seminar held at the LASU main campus, Ojo.

The research funded to the tune of N34m by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund was titled “Emerging Patterns and Determinants of Rape: Comparative Study of Rural-Urban Communities in Nigeria.”

The study covered the six geopolitical zones in the country. The research members included the Deputy Vice Chancellor of LASU (Academics), Prof Olufunsho Omobitan; Prof Onipede Wusu, Olabusoye Olupooye, Sakiru Raji, Ibrahim Aliu, Adijat Olateju, Waheed Alausa and Afolasade Sulaiman.

The study also produced empirical pieces of evidence that childhood sexual abuse experience was 35 per cent in the national sample while the rural-urban pattern shows that childhood sexual abuse experience was higher in urban communities (36 per cent) than in rural communities (34 per cent).

“Moreover, (the study) shows that about 10 per cent of currently married women reported rape experience. Rural women reported relatively higher incidence of rape experience (11.5 per cent) than their urban counterparts (8.4 per cent).

“What is more, among currently married women, over 20 per cent of currently married women experienced husband-perpetrated rape.

“The pattern indicates that husband-perpetrated rape experience was higher in rural (23 per cent) than in urban (18 per cent) communities.

“Furthermore, among the never-married females, the exposure to rape was 11 per cent, and across rural and urban communities, the exposure was higher in the rural (12 per cent) than in the urban (11 per cent) communities.

“However, across age groups, exposure to rape differed among the never-married females. The most vulnerable age groups were the adults (15 per cent) compared to the young adults (13 per cent) and the minors (10 per cent),” the policy brief of the research stated.

Commenting on the study and its outcome, the Vice Chancellor of LASU, Profe Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello, said, “The achievement of the rape research team aligns with my administration’s commitment to make LASU the best university in the West African sub-region.

“The achievement of this research team will bring us closer to realising the goal of making LASU a research and innovation hub. I congratulate the team most warmly for this feat.