Rape victims are still ashamed to disclose their painful stories... but once they are assured of justice and our society becomes less judgmental, they will speak out- Amanda Nwoke, 2015 Plus-Size Beauty Queen

Story By ADAEZE AMOS

• Amanda

Call her a fashionista, you are right. Or a style pundit, you are still in order. Or better still call her a fashion aficionado, you are hundred per cent correct.  Welcome to the world of Amanda Nwoke, a model, a beauty queen, an entrepreneur and the Miss Curvy Nigeria 2015. Although Amanda  hails from Imo state,  but she graduated from Abia State University where she studied Mass Communication.
 "I wont forget to add that  I am a plus size model and a beauty queen.  In 2015, I was one of the five(5) Queens for the Miss Curvy Nigeria Beauty Pageant. I was also a contestant in Miss Nigeria Plus Size in 2016 and late last year I was part of the team that organised the Miss Curvy Africa 2019 Beauty Pageant.  I started modeling in 2015, never intended to be a model anyway, a plus size model at that but a friend of mine that was an agent encouraged me and it's been an amazing journey for me."
Now back to the very reason for this interview. How do you feel about rape especially now that it has become very rampant in our society?
 "Honestly the numerous cases of rape in our society  is really sad and disturbing. This  means that no woman  should sleep with her two eyes properly closed because age is no barrier. It's either that you are taking watch over your female children or watching over your aged mother. It is that bad! Age is no barrier any more.  The fear  that someone may  want to force himself on you and before you say Jesus is Lord, you are raped and  sexually battered is on the increase now. This is  really horrible and terrifying to think of.  It's high time the  government really looked into this issue,create more awareness on the implications and punishments for any one who breaks this law. I also  feel parents should  educate their male and female children about sex and get them to understand the importance of consent in a sexual relationship."

Most often, the ( raped )girl child  is often blamed for being raped and she keeps shut after being raped. Refusing to talk for the fear of being accused, stigmatized and condemned. Can you say something about this? 
 "This is even the one that gets me mad!. You are raped and you can't speak out. No one to confide in. And you keep dying in silence whereas the person that humiliated you is walking with shoulder high.

Do you think provocative attires should totally be blamed for increase on the rape cases in our society?
Rubbish! The  issue of women wearing provocative attires and showing skin and all of that are just  flimsy excuses for rapists.  Enough of this nonsense! After all, how about a six months old baby in  soiled pampers who was still raped? Or a- two-year-old toddler in napkin whose napkin was yanked off and raped? What is provocative about these kids? Or an 80-something-years old woman who was raped in her bedroom by a stupid boy who broke into her room? What on earth is erotic or seducing about her? So, they should spare us those flimsy excuses biko! I'm angry right now!"
Discipline and self control should be the watch word for everyone, right?.
 "Yes! We as people and the society should strive to be disciplined, learn to respect people,  their boundaries, value, and  'consent' especially in sexual relationships! Parents  should also invest in sex education and all it entails for their kids and empower them with the proper life tools and social etiquette  so they can grow into disciplined  individuals in the society. We as a nation/people should work together and stop playing the Blame Game."
 Why are so many rape victims still hiding?
Well I think most victims of rape especially women don't come out to  talk about it because most of them are scared. They don't want to be stigmatized, they don't think anyone would believe them. Majority of them are just too ashamed to disclose their  painful story. I feel once  victims/survivors of rape  see that the government is beginning to do more to ensure that they get justice, and society becomes  less judgmental many of them will speak out.