We are still in the euphoria of international women’s day.
A woman is harassed. She speaks. And the world destroys her for it.
This is not just a story. It is a script that has been played out for centuries. A woman’s suffering is never the scandal; her refusal to stay silent is. And the world is never more vicious than when a woman dares to say, “This happened to me.”
Let’s talk about Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, a woman of power, influence, and undeniable resilience. If she, a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, can be bullied into silence, humiliated, and thrown out of the Senate for daring to accuse the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, of sexual harassment, then tell me what chance does the everyday Nigerian woman have?
Let’s not mince words. She was punished for speaking up.
She wasn’t suspended for breaking the law.
She wasn’t suspended for any ethical misconduct.
She was suspended because she refused to be prey.
This is the message the Nigerian Senate just sent to every girl and woman in this country.
If you are harassed, keep quiet. If you are abused, swallow it. If you speak, you will suffer. If you fight back, we will destroy you.
And here’s the most disgusting part some people actually defend this by saying, “The Senate is a respected institution; we can’t allow such allegations to stain its image.” What kind of institution protects predators at the expense of victims? Since when did covering up injustice become a mark of respect? Since when did honor mean silencing women so men in power can keep their secrets?
If the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the supposed guardian of law and justice cannot even investigate a sexual harassment allegation within its own walls, then what hope is there for an abused market woman? A struggling student harassed by her lecturer? A young girl molested by a boss who knows no one will believe her?
And here is where it gets even more laughable. The accused, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, presided over his own case. He constituted the disciplinary committee that passed judgment against the woman who dared to challenge him. Is this a Senate or a cult? Is this justice or a dictatorship? How does an accused person become the judge, jury, and executioner in his own trial? Is this not an animal farm, where some are more equal than others?
And if you think this madness ends there, look at the women in the Senate her so-called colleagues not a single one stood up for her. Not one. They watched their fellow woman get thrown to the wolves and kept quiet. So much for “women supporting women.” If a female senator cannot count on her fellow women in a moment of crisis, what hope is there for the millions of women suffering in silence across this country?
And the grandest insult of all? This happened during International Women’s Month. The very month dedicated to celebrating and empowering women. And guess who was a guest speaker at that event? Godswill Akpabio. The same man accused of sexual harassment. The same man who orchestrated the suspension of a woman who dared to call him out.
What really are we turning into?
What does “women empowerment” mean when women in power betray each other?
What does “justice” mean when the system is designed to protect the predator and punish the prey?
What kind of society are we building where speaking the truth is a crime but abusing power is a career advantage?
If Natasha, a senator, can be shamed, silenced, and thrown out, then no woman is safe. Not in politics, not in the workplace, not in the streets, not even in her own home.
So should we stay silent and die?
Should we let fear dictate our dignity?
Should we allow this to continue, knowing that today it’s Natasha, tomorrow it’s another woman, and someday it could be us?
No.
The cost of silence is too high. And if we let them silence one, they will silence us all.
This is not the end of the conversation. This is a reckoning.
Mic dropped. The world must listen.
Shaakaa Stephanie
University of Agriculture, Makurdi,
Benue State.
shaakaastephanie02@gmail.com
