Boko – Haram Insurgency And Trends In The Violent Victimisation Of Women By Security Forces In Northeast Nigeria

Abstract

Boko Haram insurgency has caused the loss of many lives and untold suffering to numerous people in Northeast Nigeria. The violent victimisation of women is one of the devastating consequences of the conflict. This paper explored trends in the violence committed against women by security forces. The purpose is to contribute to the existing few studies in the extant literature detailing the violent atrocities of the security forces against women. There are already extensive studies on the nature of violence perpetuated against women by insurgents. This paper, underpinned by structural violence and radical feminism theoretical postulations, drew qualitative data from interviews published in grey literature on gender-centred violence and secondary data from academic studies. This paper adopted documentary and descriptive methods to analyse the relevant data. Since the emergence of the insurgency in 2009, civil society reports show that many women are victims of violence such as rape, forced detentions, torture, inhumane treatment and restrictions, insecurity, murder and displacement perpetrated by security forces. This pattern of violence is consistent with available evidence of gender-related violent behaviour in most armed conflicts and underlines the perception of women as symbols and objects of war. The paper argued that entrenched structural patriarchy, poverty, illiteracy and institutionalised exploitation and oppression of women in Northeast aggravated the vulnerability of women to violence in the conflict. Many survivors of the violence have their health, social and economic prospects severely affected by the experience. The paper suggested, among others, adequate genderisation of government rehabilitation, deradicalisation, destigmatisation, resettlement and reintegration intervention programmes, investigation and prosecution of alleged cases of sexual and gender violence against security forces. Government empowerment of citizens is critical to tackle the underlying causes of Boko Haram insurgency and gender-related socio-economic and cultural, factors promoting the societal discrimination of women.