NGO collaborates with Nigerian institutions to reduce sexual assault

Stand to End Rape (STER), a non-profit organization, has formed partnerships with two Nigerian colleges in an effort to reduce the number of instances of sexual assault that occur in higher schools.

The decision to take this action was prompted by reports of sexual harassment of female students committed by members of staff at academic institutions.

The topic of #SexforGrades was brought to light in one of these reports that was done by the BBC.

According to a statement that was released by Elfrida Adeleye, STER’s communications officer, on Friday, STER collaborated with Baze University, Abuja and River State University to implement reforms in this regard in their respective institutions and provide punitive measures for erring staff. The statement was issued as a result of the situation described above.

Ms. Adeleye mentioned that “little to no practical consequence has been created” four years after the BBC report, which is the reason why they (STER) launched the GirlLead Project. This was done in order to empower young women to take on leadership roles in their communities.

According to Ms. Adeleye, the project, which was funded by an IVLP grant, developed and disseminated educational tools as well as printable informational and educational materials (IEC) in Nigeria’s two institutions of higher education in order to educate Nigerian women and girls on actionable steps to take in the aftermath of an incident of sexual violence.