Oluwaseun Osowobi, founder of the non-governmental organisation Stand To End Rape, addressed the issue of whether the group has supported male survivors of sexual and gender-based violence during an interview with The Punch.
In response, she explained that sexual violence should be understood as a deeply entrenched and normalised pattern of behaviour sustained by systems of oppression. According to her, such abuse is fundamentally about power and control, rooted in longstanding societal attitudes, beliefs, and unequal power dynamics.
She noted that perpetrators often act from a desire to assert dominance or maintain control, reflecting what she described as an “I will show you” mentality embedded in certain cultural and structural norms. Within that context, she acknowledged that boys and men are also victims of sexual violence.
She added that there have been reports of male-on-male sexual abuse, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria. However, while recognising that men and boys can be survivors, she clarified that her organisation’s primary focus remains on supporting women, who constitute the majority of reported cases.
Further talking, she said, “As a matter of fact, the first rape case that we ever handled as an organisation was that of two young boys who were violated by their neighbour who is a man. So, it was more of a case of slavery. It was in 2014.
We got to know about that case when we were having a walk. It was a campaign walk against sexual violence around Ikeja, Lagos. We were walking, and someone ran across the street and said, ‘I need to report a case.’ The person gave us the information of the house on a street, and we traced that location.”
She explained that in some instances, her organisation traced the families of affected boys and engaged them directly. According to her, many of the parents were initially stunned, having attempted to handle the matter quietly within the family.
She said the organisation encouraged them to formally address the abuse and prioritise the boys’ wellbeing, particularly their health. They were informed about the potential medical consequences of sexual violence, including the risk of sexually transmitted infections and other complications.
While noting that the organisation does encounter such cases and provides support where possible, she reiterated that its core mandate remains focused primarily on women and girls rather than boys and men.See_More…