The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has identified a growing trend of men becoming victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in recent times, News About Nigeria reports.
This revelation was made by the agency’s Director General, Fatima Waziri-Aza, during a workshop organised in Abuja with support from the FORD Foundation.
Waziri-Aza disclosed that the cases involving men as victims include instances of physical violence, separating fathers from their children, and expelling men from shared homes.
This marks a shift from past trends where complaints of SGBV were primarily from women. Waziri-Aza reassured male victims that the laws are in place to protect them.
She said, “We have also started seeing new trends. In the past, we never used to get complaints from men. But now, we get complaints from men.
“Even though we know that most of these SGBV issues affect women more, but for the fact that men are reporting and are speaking up. It shows us that attitudes that used to be seen as normal in the past, attitude that used to be tolerated, is no longer tolerated.”
Waziri-Aza revealed that in 2023 alone, NAPTIP received about 15 complaints from men. These complaints encompassed physical violence from their partners, isolating fathers from their children, and forcing husbands out of shared homes.
The director general commended the shift, stating, “This was something that never happened before. In the past, I think, men are taught to be strong and internalize issues, but it is gratifying to see that men are speaking up. So this shows that men and boys also go through these issues. The laws are also there to protect them.”
The workshop served as a platform for stakeholders to enhance collaboration and understanding of their roles in addressing SGBV issues.
Waziri-Aza emphasised the importance of sustained advocacy efforts and strategies to prevent and tackle SGBV.
Despite the challenges, she noted a positive trend in the decrease of the culture of silence, evidenced by the increased reporting of cases to NAPTIP.
Last year, NAPTIP received about 2,400 cases of SGBV in the Federal Capital Territory alone, indicating the urgency and significance of addressing this issue comprehensively.
