ABSTRACT
Sexual violence is a serious public health and human rights problem with both short and long-term repercussions for women’s physical, emotional, sexual and reproductive health. It is an anathema which sadly, permeates the human race. As absurd as it seems, civilization, technology and even laws have not been able to curb this dilemma as there are still reports on sexual violence regularly particularly against women. This however cannot be taken to mean that sexual violence does not operate against boys and men but for the purpose of this paper, attention is tilted towards women. In Africa, sexual violence against women has become so rampant due to distorted orientation which underscores the male superiority and portrays the women as weaker vessels that are used to satisfy the sexual urges of men. The major remedy to this violence which affects the sexual and reproductive health of women are the laws put in place to enforce the rights of women with respect to their reproductive health. This article seeks however to examine the laws that exist in relation to sexual and reproductive health rights of women and recommends that States in Africa subscribe to these laws to protect women from sexual violence.