Nigerian senator assaults woman in public

This is Sen. Elisha Abbo, a Nigerian senator assaulting a woman, who told him to “take it easy” after he accused the shop owner of insulting him.

This incident highlights the way women are viewed in the society. On a daily basis, women and girls in Nigeria are discriminated against solely on the basis of their gender. The gender inequality in Nigeria is so rife and this has created a society where men feel entitled to control women. Religious and cultural attitudes regarding the subjugation of women makes the problems of sexual and domestic violence against women worse.

The Gender and Equal Opportunities (GEO) Bill was voted against by Nigerian lawmakers in 2016. The bill was designed to stop the inhumane or degrading treatment of women. It looked to eradicate any and all violence and discrimination against women and provide them with the same marital rights as their male counterparts including the rights of widows to inherit their husband’s property but it was voted down by the senate.

Why would such a bill be passed, when we have men like these in the senate?

We just hope that this senator would be held accountable for his actions and punished.

How can we achieve equality in a society like Nigeria?