Miss Leighann Spencer1
1Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, Australia, 2La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia
In 2020 Nigeria declared a state of emergency on sexual and gender-based violence amongst a ‘rape-crisis’. In that year alone there were 11,200 reported rape cases. Despite the declaration of zero tolerance and improved initiatives including Family Support Units and Force Gender Units within the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), rape and other instances of gendered violence have not subsided. NPF failures such as insufficient resources, corruption, and misogyny have created a culture of silence and impunity. Indeed, the NPF have been criticised along similar lines in the general upholding of security. Consequently, informal security groups have blossomed. This research utilises a content analysis and interviews to investigate the role of informal security groups in addressing gendered violence across Nigeria. It was found that these groups have played a positive role in identifying and arresting perpetrators of gendered violence. They have been particularly instrumental in recovering female victims of kidnapping. They have, furthermore, provided a sense of safety and security to their communities. However, it was also found that these groups can have a negative impact. Should these negatives be addressed, informal security groups could be employed in future action against gendered violence in countries where the state police is inefficient.
Biography:
Leighann Spencer is a casual academic at La Trobe University and Charles Sturt University. She is completing her PhD through the latter, evaluating the role of identity and the state in Nigerian vigilantism. Her areas of expertise are state and non-state security, identity, judicial politics, and accountability.