Rape is the only crime where the victim doesn’t gain sympathy – Hausa Ojeifo

On the latest episode of #WithChude hosted by founder of Joy, Inc., Chude Jideonwo, Mind and Mental health coach, Hauwa Ojeifo, shared her rape survival story.

“I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, from the rape,” said Hauwa, talking about the aftermath of the experience.

From self-blame, to guilt and shame, she described her journey to healing, revealing how she had to go through her own pain only to walk into social blame.

“Rape is the only crime where the victim doesn’t gain sympathy,” she said.

“What we’ve been conditioned to believe about rape in our society is that, ‘it was your [the victim’s] fault’. Why were you there? What were you wearing? What did you say? How come you’re wearing this? You shouldn’t have…” And that is only the beginning of the social blame.

Having had to deal with depression and bipolar disorder herself, Hauwa is deeply passionate about mental health.

She has since worked through the trauma to channel her passion into driving the much-needed conversation on mental health with her foundation, She Writes Woman.

#WithChude is a special series of targeted multimedia conversations and investigations focused on narratives that enable and strengthen the mind, heart and spirit. Leveraging the voice, network and passion of its host, Chude Jideonwo, the show aims to raise social consciousness and spark social movements.

New episodes of #WithChude show every Saturday at 9pm on TVC Entertainment, and every Thursday on EbonyLife TV at 7.30pm. With an extended play podcast up on Spotify, iTunes among other podcast platforms every Wednesday at 10am, everyone can join the conversations.