Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Residents of the FCT have decried the high level of indecent treatment in public places like motor parks and markets.
This crude treatment meted out to women at motor parks, fashion shops in public markets have beed roundly condemned, especially by ladies and their relations. Curiously the situation is not changing despite the ongoing advocacy led by Omolola Tosan Akinwole, who has been leading a campaign at markets and public marks to sensitise the public on the need to stop harassment and sexual assault in public places.
The people who indulge in the act are mostly men who sell women’s wears or touts in the parks. Most of them have vowed not to desist from it, not minding the psychological trauma it creates on victims.
Some of the victims who spoke with our correspondent confessed that they were not comfortable going to motor parks or other places to buy bra and undies from male traders because most of them were very mischievous.
“They would tell you you can try on the wears, in the process of trying it, they would appear there and start touching you, when you ask them to stop, they would say,they are just trying to help you,” one lady said.
Adanna Nwafor from Maitama confessed that women are still sexually assaulted in motor parks in spite of several campaigns by NGOs and religious organisations to stop the harassment of women in public places. She said going to board a bus or collect an item that is sent to you is now a nightmare, as most ladies find it difficult to walk into the environment because of the attitude of some transporters.
“Last month, during the break, I had to travel to Lagos through one of the popular transport services in Utako park. When I got to the park at about 5:30am, some men who were standing at the entrance of the park asked where I was going, I said Lagos. Instantly, they pounced on me. Each of them began struggling and dragging me around, before I could realise what was happening, they started touching me all over my body. I managed to escaped from their grip, even my bag got torn,” she said.
Another lady from Apo, Susan Adams, said that the level of sexual assault on ladies in motor parks was worrisome. She related her ordeal when she went to receive a parcel sent to her from her parents in one of the parks in Nyanya, Abuja. Immediately she entered the park, some men followed her and started touching her and when she tried to stop them, their number increased.
“I don’t know why some people don’t reason before they do some certain things. They don’t know that it is not everybody you see on the streets that is human. The other day, I went to one of the parks to collect what was sent to me. As I entered the park, a man just came straight to me and asked me who I was looking for, when I told him, he said i should follow him. As we were going, he just placed his hand on my waist, when I shouted at him, his boys came out from nowhere and it became fun for them. I was embarrassed that day because before I left there, the colour of my clothes changed,” she said.
Deborah Friday from Mpape said the indecent touching was not only in motor parks but also common among men selling women’s wear, mostly under wear. She said that she would never buy undies from men, unless in company with someone else because she narrowly escaped rape in the market.
She said, “One faithful day, I went to the market to buy bras. I told the man the size and type I wanted. He brought them and told me that I could try them on my body to be sure of what I was buying.He showed me a changing area to try the undies; as I was wearing them, he walked into the place and started touching me indecently. When I started quarreling him,he said he came to help me and also check if they are fine on me. Thankfully someone came into his shop, as he was still fumbling and arguing with me.”
A trader in Wuse Market agreed that ladies were sexually harassed in the market. He declared it would never be stopped by any level of campaign or sensitisation, except by ladies themselves.
“It is not every woman that comes to the market that we touch. We touch the ones that need touching. The way they walk, dress and talk will tell you that they are calling for touching. So, touching can only stop when our ladies will learn how to respect womanhood,” he said.
Meanwhile, Hellen Agogo from Jahi confessed that she enjoyed being touched by men.