Nigeria is moving to amend its criminal code to recognise that both men and women can be rape victims.
Currently, the country's legislation describes rape as a sexual act committed against "a woman or girl" but Senator Oluremi Tinubu thinks it is time to change the definition.
"The Criminal Code Act defines rape ... as an offence against women. However, times indicate that there are incidents of non-consensual sex perpetrated against the male gender. This definition is particularly grievous because it perpetuates the socio-cultural belief that men do not need to consent to sexual acts. In addition, we must ensure that our laws and jurisprudence evolve with the rest of the world," Ms Tinubu said, as quoted by Premium Times.
According to the senate's Twitter account, politicians mostly welcomed the idea. After passing through the second reading, the bill was submitted to the Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
One of the local media outlets, the Cable, covered the news under the headline "Men Too", drawing a parallel with the "Me Too" movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault.
