RESIST Pt 1: What the Abuja protests tell us about policy, activism and what it means to be a woman in Nigeria
This story is the first item in a larger series called RESIST, which takes a look at the many different ways that women in Nigeria are speaking out about gender-based violence and taking back their power through social media, activism and grassroots organizing.
On April 27 2019, a joint police task force arrested roughly 70 women for ‘hanging around nightclubs’ in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. The women were taken to police stations in Garki, Utako and other areas within Abuja’s municipal area. Some were released on bail and asked to pay a fine between N3,000-N5,000 ( the equivalent of less than $10), while 32 of the women were taken to a mobile court and tried for prostitution. In a report from the Premium Times, 27 of these women were found guilty and sentenced to one month each in prison.
Following the arrests, reports detailed that the women had been extorted, beaten and in some cases raped by police officials in exchange for their freedom. In a press conference organized by the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) and the Dorothy Njemanze Foundation on May 2, several women narrated the demeaning ordeal, detailing the horrors they had faced at the hands of the Nigerian Police Force.
In the days after, activists, human rights workers and concerned Nigerians took to social media to express their outrage with the task force, using popular hashtags such as ‘#abujapoliceraidonwomen’ and ‘#sexforbailisrape’.
Here is where things took a turn. The campaigns spread across Nigeria and soon marches were organized around the country; notably in Abuja, Lagos and Port-Harcourt as well as one in London. In Abuja, the march took place May 4, with the procession beginning at the old parade ground in Garki. Organized by the Stand to End Rape Initiative (STER), dozens came out dressed in black to protest the activities of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board and the Nigerian Police Force.
“This policing of women’s bodies is not uncommon in Nigeria, particularly in Abuja”
At the rally, I listened to popular #bringbackourgirls activist, Aisha Yesufu speak passionately to police officials at the FCT Police Command Headquarters and call for the release of the women who had been arrested. During the march, the communications representative who was there on behalf of the Nigerian Police Force promised that there would be fair trials for the women still in custody in accordance with the Human Rights treaties Nigeria is a part of. And while I thought the turnout at the protest could have been better, there were many conversations around the importance of speaking up on issues that tamper with civil liberties and human dignity.
The Nigerian Police Force and the AEPB taskforce have a long history of targeting women for suspected prostitution or simply for being out at night. Innocent women in cities all over Nigeria are regularly picked up and/or harassed because of how they are dressed, or what time of the day they happen to be outdoors.
But this policing of women’s bodies is not uncommon, particularly in Abuja, and much of that history is outlined in activist Dorothy Njemanze’s documentary Silent Tears. In it, she and a few other women narrate their firsthand experiences with the task force. The documentary describes in detail how women are often physically abused in custody and given limited options for regaining their freedom, often forcing many to plead guilty in cases where they are not.
But, the restriction and surveillance of Nigerian women and their bodies cannot be separated from the patriarchal expectations and interpretations of what it means to be a woman in Nigerian society today.
Shortly after reports of the raid floated on Twitter, an assistant Police Commissioner, Abayomi Shogunle tweeted the following;
When relevant officials spread half-truths such as these, they justify and rationalize the violence perpetrated against these women and reinforce the belief that they are somewhat deserving of this targeted, state-sanctioned violence. As well, the belief that women should be homemakers, child-bearers and individuals who should be seen and not heard, continues to play a huge role in the way government agencies interact with and demand subservience from women.
Like similar recent social movements such as #justiceforOchanya, #SexforMarks, and #MarketMarch, the #Abujapoliceraidonwomen reminds us of some of the limitations and challenges of being a woman in Nigeria today. We see issues of rape, sexual harassment and policing that require dedicated advocacy, policy change and intervention. And while social media movements have helped create awareness and momentum for a number of different causes, they’ve also given Nigerian women in particular a new space to be seen and heard. This has pushed them to the forefront of issues that matter to them, and empowered them to organize around said issues in the hopes of influencing change and making some type of impact.
“While social media movements have helped create awareness and momentum for a number of different causes, they’ve also given Nigerian women in particular a new space to be seen and heard”
However, it is also important that this work is continued offline. From supporting civil society organizations doing work on women’s issues, to understanding the current limitations of our constitution while demanding for better from those who represent us, we can ensure that the stories voices of all women are heard.