Sexual autonomy and violence against women in Nigeria: Assessing the impact of Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Sexual and reproductive rights are centred on an individual’s autonomy. However, these rights are jeopardised when women and girls are faced with sexual violence. Recently, there was reported increase in violence against women and girls, constituting an infringement of their human rights. Relieving this burden has become a human rights commitment for most countries including Nigeria. Therefore, this article examines how these rights were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. It examines reports from media sources, and conducted in-depth interviews with Forty-five (45) women in a bid to elicit their responses on their experiences during the pandemic. The research found that the pandemic had both positive and negative impacts on the women’s sexual autonomy. This article recommends the creation of more awareness for women, the fostering of political will, and dedicated funding to ensure active implementation and better protection of women’s rights in Nigeria.

Keywords

• autonomy
• sexual autonomy
• violence
• nigeria
• covid-19 pandemic