The Life After Abuse Foundation (LAAF), a non-governmental organization (NGO), with a base in Lagos, has urged for the opening of more rehabilitation facilities for those who have endured drug and/or sexual abuse.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos, the president of the foundation, Miss Halima Layeni, made the announcement.
She stated that “safe spaces, methods, and institutions for males must be established so they may speak up and get the support they need when they experience the trauma of sexual assault or drug misuse.
Anyone can experience sexual abuse, regardless of their age, religion, socioeconomic class, or gender.
She asserts that creating a social support facility specifically geared toward the medical, legal, and psychological requirements of boys and men who have experienced sexual abuse will advance a tranquil, secure, and socially healthy society.
She stated that there are numerous free social support centers in Lagos State that cater to the legal, medical, and psychological requirements of female abuse survivors.
“Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for boys and men; abused boys and men do not even have access to the most basic help from family, friends, and the communities,” she added.
It is simple to forget that men are also part of the human race and that the long-term ramifications of sexual abuse affect them in the same ways as women.
Layeni encouraged the government to implement laws and policies that would address sexual violence in the community.
She claimed that the community had disregarded many males who had been sexually abused.
She asserts that it is crucial to remember that supporting gender equality includes men and women’s rights as well, not only the rights of women and girls.
She continued, “If a male comes forward to report that he has been sexually assaulted by a lady or a woman, the society should pay attention to him and take it up.
Therefore, moving forward, policies, awareness campaigns, and institutional programs must be developed that prioritize men’s inclusion so that any woman or lady that sexually abuses a man will equally be punished.
Because if we don’t educate people about what is wrong, it will eventually become a way of life, we need to push education campaigns into schools, churches, and homes.
The reality is that some individuals still lack the understanding necessary to comprehend that guys are equally susceptible to rape.
