The world over, incidences of violence, ranging from religious, ethnic, and gender based crimes, domestic, sexual, emotional, physical and psychological abuse etc, have been centered on women as the victims. This, perhaps, stems from the erroneous belief that it is a men’s world,and since men rule the world, they are immune from experiencing violence, or better still, even if they fall victim, a case is not made for their protection. As such, great distress and trauma has been silently, yet approvingly been visited on the male gender.

However, the truth is that men of every age and social standing can become victims of violence including emotional, verbal and sexual abuse. Therefore, also in need of adequate protection under the law. This is more so that the Constitution has given every human being, irrespective of gender, a right to freedom from discrimination.

Cases of violence and sexual harassment against men are more likely not to be reported or taken serious even when so reported. Some of the reasons accounting for this trend are social stigma, ego, fear, ridicule as well as the discriminatory provisions of the criminal law, especially with regards to the offense of rape.

A careful look at the provisions of Section 282(1)&(2) Penal Code and 357 Criminal Code suggests that only a female is capable of being raped. More so that the requirements for the acteus reus for rape is penetration, and it is assumed that only the female body is crafted in a way and manner to allow for penetration. However, this discriminatory provision is far from the reality. Instances abound where young boys left in the care of their nannies are eventually sexually abused, exposed to indecent materials and naked bodies, indecently touched and caressed etc. The reforms in criminal law is making provisions to redress and to make a shift from penile penetration as the lone actus reus of the offence of rape.

The social media today is awash with pictures of naked or virtually naked ladies, or pictures calculatedly snapped in such a way that the breast and bottom leaves one with alot of imaginations, thereby causing emotional distress.

Psycho-sexual abuse is real to the man. The writer still remembers how as little children, they were often taken to the female hostel of a school in the neighbourhood, where most of the times, some of the female students were seen naked and no attempt was made to cover such nakedness. Some of these “aunties” remarked that we were small boys who don’t know anything. Fastforward some years and the writer was an undergraduate. Early one morning, while waiting outside for a lecture, an older woman in his class walked up to him to help her correct her bra strap and pull up the zip of her dress. This event brought great distress to the writer.

Rape as a sexual offence is real to the men folk. Men of age have been raped. It was reported by the media that on 17 July 2012, in Ogbadibo LGA of Benue State, a man was allegedly raped to dead by his six wives. Because of the discriminatory nature of our law, what happened to this man can only qualify as manslaughter, but never as rape.
Therefore, it is important, that our laws should be reformed to bring them to conformity with contemporary realities as what we have at the moment is too archaic and lopsided. Though it is unarguable that women, children and the aged are more vulnerable to violence and distress, and as such need the protection of the law, men too need to be protected and encouraged to speak out against violence and other forms of harassment meted out to them. Men should not be ashamed to seek redress for any form of indecency they are exposed to, whether at home, the school or their work places. This it is thought, will go a long way to address the discrimination against them.

Manang Joshua Jabbe, Esq

Legal practitioner, Public Affairs Commentator, Civil, Political ,Minority and Human Rights Crusader.

08134069256,manangjabbe@gmail.com

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Men as Victims in a Patriarchal Society – Manang Joshua Jabbe, Esq