7. The Shadow Pandemic.

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The #WeAreTired campaign in Nigeria, 2020. Source.

Having studied the plight faced by the people of the LCB last week, a vital  consideration came to the forefront of my investigations, one which I admittedly naively lacked knowledge of. As touched on in my last blog, gender plays a pivotal role as a tool of war and terrorism in West Africa, with over half of Boko Haram’s suicide bombers being women and girls, some as young as 7 years old (Markovic, 2019). These revelations led me on to investigate the broader gendered adversities that persist in the region, with this week’s blog post discussing the emergence of a so-called, ‘Shadow Pandemic’, whilst deliberating how gender inequalities within WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) further exacerbate these concerns. 

Gender-Based Violence (GBV).                                                                                                                                    The simple act of ‘going to the toilet’ is a matter of personal safety for women across West Africa, with studies highlighting the linkages between a lack of adequate sanitation, such as the need to perform open defecation or ‘shitting’ (Jewitt), (with 92% of Niger’s population still practicing open defecation (UN)), and the increased risk of women and girls being raped. This, as Kayser suggests, leads to ingrained fear of GBV, severely limiting the movement and opportunities of women across the region, a significant barrier to development (2019).   Such geographies of women’s fear are entirely justified, with rape being a central threat in the West African region and throughout many African nations, with marital rape being legal in Mali for example, and a fundamental lack of statistical information regarding its prevalence (OMCT), with Senegal only criminalising it this year (Reuters, 2020). As a result, The WeAreTired hashtag which gained publicity in Nigeria in June following the rape and murder of a university student, part of a spate of tragic incidents (BBC), highlights the severity of GBV across the region, with activists voicing their outrage and fatigue at the status quo.


#WeAreTired highlighted the extent of sexual violence in Nigeria.

The Shadow Pandemic.                                                                                                                                                  Comparatively, it is vital that we further acknowledge the growing prevalence of incidents of rape under the COVID-19 pandemic, termed 'Africa's shadow pandemic' by the UN. Whilst international focus is understandably fixated on preserving national interests in light of the pandemic, African nations are experiencing an eruption of GBV cases, with confinement fostering tension and strain. Liberia for example has viewed a 50% increase in GBV in the first half of this year (DWN), whilst public health efforts and government policies have been noted as failing to explicitly address the gendered impacts of the pandemic (Parry and Gordon, 2020).  

Discussion.                                                                                                                                                                    Thus, the everyday plight faced by women across the West African region and wider continent requires imminent consideration, with studies revealing, “For both Ebola and COVID-19, response efforts have overlooked the life-saving nature of GBV services” (Stark et al, 2020). Despite organisations such as the UN leading activists for 16 days in the 'Orange the World' Campaign (UN), targeted at increasing awareness of GBV, particularly under COVID-19, deep-rooted fundamental alterations are required. West African governments must actively shift towards highlighting incidents of rape and giving women a voice. Yet, these adjustments will be difficult, with attempts to overcome gender-based inequalities being met by the glass ceiling of what Akumu describes as “African culture” (Akumu, 2015). Although it will likely be a long process, female empowerment and a sense of trust is vital, with entrenched fear towards government officials and key community figures needing to be tackled, with a multitude of examples of police, UN peacekeepers and politicians instigating rape. 

Sierra Leone's first lady Fatima Maada Bio's fight against rape, the global "Me too" movement, and widespread protests hopefully personify movement towards change, with next week's concluding blog discussing further signs of hopeful mitigation strategies. Finally, it is essential to recognise that we in the Global North cannot simply remove ourselves from this rise in GBV, with the 'Shadow Pandemic' pervading throughout the globe (Mittal), with reports of domestic violence in France having increased by 30% since the lockdown on March 17 (Source), and the UK and US viewing similar increases.





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