VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE: AFRICAN WOMEN AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF WAR, AN APRAISAL OF VIOLENCE IN THE SIERRA LEONE CIVIL WAR (Review Completed - Accepted)
Women in all ages in different countries have been victims of violence, particularly violence emanating from wars. In Africa, women have had to contend with rape, loneliness, shame and rejection among others. The Sierra Leone Civil War brought to the attention of the world the bestiality of the male folk. Although it affected all members of the Sierra Leonean society, its effects on women were more devastating. This paper examines the violation of the rights of women in the Sierra Leone Civil War; the role played by the rebel movement, government forces and civil defence corps in gender related abuses; and find out why women are more vulnerable to rights violation in armed conflicts particularly in Sierra Leone. The methodology adopted was based on secondary sources. Our findings are that women were raped, brutalized and murdered and in some cases abducted and used as sex slaves. The study recommended that perpetrators of war crimes particularly against women should be severely punished to deter others.
Keywords: Gender, Sierra Leone, Violence, War, Women, conflicts.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND POVERTY IN NIGERIA: A LINK TO NATIONAL INSECURITY (Published)
The majority of Nigeria population, the poor people in affluent society, is enmeshed in the net of poverty. The Nigerian government seem to have failed in its contractual obligation to respect and sustain its social contract with the people. There is a seemingly total collapse of social security, increase in unemployment rate and consequently inbreed of youth restiveness. This study sets out to investigate the relationship between unemployment, poverty and insecurity of lives and properties in the country. The primary objective of this article is to ascertain whether the increased wave of violence in Nigeria is as a result of unemployment and poverty. The study underscores that unemployment and poverty are universal phenomena, not necessarily a peculiar characteristic of any particular segment of the society. The research revealed that unemployment and poverty have direct link to security challenges in Nigeria. There is need for a radical reform in the areas of skill acquisition centres, agricultural development scheme for creation of employment opportunities and holistic restructuring of peace building mechanisms to curb these social ills and reposition the drifting nation to a more purposeful track.
Keywords: Insecurity of Lives and Properties, Poverty, Unemployment, Violence