Fame Foundation raises alarm over killing of 401 women in one year

The Fame Foundation has expressed deep concern over the alarming rate of femicide in Nigeria, revealing that 401 women lost their lives to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in 2022 alone.

The organisation urged the government to declare an emergency to address the pressing issue.

Globally, femicide is recognised as a grave human rights violation. The United Nations reported a staggering figure of over 89,000 women and girls killed in 2022 and 2023.

The Executive Director of Fame, Arabinrin Aderonke Atoyebi, highlighted the situation’s urgency at a press conference in Abuja.

She described the girl child, young women, and young female adults in Nigeria as an “endangered species.”

Femicide, she explained, often stems from deeply ingrained patterns of violence against women, rooted in the belief that men should exert control over women.

Atoyebi lamented the underreporting of femicide in Nigeria due to societal stigma, fear of retaliation, and shame experienced by victims’ families.

She stressed the power imbalance between men and women as a driving force behind this violence, with men feeling entitled to control women, even to the point of taking their lives.

She cited several recent cases to illustrate the severity of the problem: Paul Jeremiah, a 20-year-old undergraduate who kidnapped and murdered Damilola, a 19-year-old student.