ABSTRACT

In spite of anecdotal evidence that sexual violence occurs at music and cultural festivals, research attention paid to the phenomenon has remained limited. In particular, the ‘hideous’ nature of the problem of sexual assault in Nigeria not only impedes empirical studies but also hinders the society from effectively dealing with and eradicating sexual violence. In this chapter, a cross-disciplinary approach was adopted to engage theoretical perspectives from a number of traditions of study to analyse the issue of sexual violence of girls and women at music and cultural festivals in Nigeria. Using a qualitative approach, 17 females who had experienced sexual violence during their participation in music and cultural festivals in Nigeria were interviewed. The findings demonstrated that female attendees of festivals and carnivals in Nigeria are exposed to various forms of sexual harassment and assaults, which are overtly and covertly meted out on women at the events. The need for existing theories of sexual violence and assault to consider more explicitly the wider community context of music and cultural festivals within which perpetration and victimisation take place was emphasised. Further research should be conducted to triangulate perspectives of festival organisers and security personnel with that of survivors and perpetrators.