Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) is increasingly becoming prevalent in Imo state. Recent trends indicate an increase in incidents of violence affecting women and girls in the state, especially domestic violence, rape, girl child abuse, child trafficking, abduction and targeted killing of women and girls for ritualistic purposes. According to data (see map below), over 90 incidents of violence affecting women and girls were reported in Imo state between March 2016 and March 2020. In January 2020, for instance, a 62-year old woman was reportedly killed by her 42-year old son in Umuobom community, Ideato South LGA.
In February 2020, a 2-year old girl was reportedly defiled by a man, a director in a government agency, in his office in Owerri, the state capital. More recently, in April 2020, a 15-year old girl was reported to have been serially raped by her 44-year old father and three of his friends in Orji community, Owerri North LGA. According to the victim, her father and his friends have been raping her for two years, since she was 13 years old. He usually invites his friends to his house to rape his teenage daughter.
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