Human rights advocates have described gender-based violence as life-threatening and lethal and called on various governments to domesticate CEDAW to make perpetrators culpable.
Gender Based Violence (GBV) seems to be the most endemic and dangerous form of violence against women across the globe. Women are subjected to this form of violence because of their gender.
GBV became a human rights issue in 1991 after the World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna –Australia. This gave rise to what is celebrated today as 16 Days Activism against Gender Based Violence campaign, an annual event aimed to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world.
The International campaign which runs every 25 November to 10 December -Human Rights Day has this year’s theme as “Leave No one Behind: End Violence against Women and Girls.’’
Executive Director of Touching Hearts Global Foundation (THGF) Mrs. Gloria Ita Ikpeme who spoke on the issue described violence against women as a terrible thing, saying that it is on the increase.
Mrs. Ikpeme frowned at men who batter their wives and opined that they do that because women are weaker vessel and does not have strength to fight back.
On the other hand, she attributed the high rate of violence against women in the society to the present economic downturn.
“Some of the men who batter their wives may do that because they are under pressure, when they discover that they are unable to provide all the needs in the home, the next thing is to unleash anger on their wives, it should not be so because battering one’s wife cannot be the solution,” she noted.
However, she stressed the need for women to be financially empowered so as to assist their spouses in taking care of the needs at home.
On her part, Mrs. Nkechi Ali Balogun, Public Relations expert and Principal Consultant at NECCI Consulting, blamed the situation on the patriarchy system in Nigeria where males hold authority over females.
Mrs. Balogun regretted that women who should be in the fore front of correcting the situation are not doing much.
Maintaining that women can play a vital role in the elimination of violence in the society, she said: “Women can start from parenting, male children should not be made to realize that they are superior to the females. The boys should be taught how to cook and do house cores just like the girls.
“Women should recognise and accept what is listed as violence, when their sons batter their wives, they should speak against it,” she advised.
In addition, the Public Relations practitioner advised women groups to form a critical mass of women that are ready to force government to fully domesticate signed international treaties such as the Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
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According to her, if CEDAW is fully domesticated in to local laws, it will eliminate GBV in the society as men who batter their wives will face the law.
On her part, a survivor of an abusive relationship, Abiola Abiade wandered why some women will prefer to die in abusive marriage instead of escaping for their lives.
“I know that God hates divorce, but a situation where a woman is often battered by the husband, l think the best thing to do is for that woman to leave the man and not to wait till she dies.”
Emphasising the importance of speaking out, she frowned at battered women who chose to keep silence instead of speaking out.
“Women keep quiet because they take upon themselves the shame. I always tell women not to take responsibility of that abuse because it is the perpetrator that is wrong, and so he is the one that should be ashamed.
“So, you should speak out, even if people will blame you out of ignorance, do not ever let that stop you from speaking out at the very beginning and do not wait until it deteriorates.
“A slap will grow in to a kick, a kick will grow into battering and from there the perpetrator will begin to do all sorts of dehumanising things to the victim. Even if he apologises, he will do it again. It will get to a point where he will strip you of your pride, confidence, self worth and dignity.”
Advocating for more awareness on the dangers associated with GBV, Executive director of Arts Generation , Mrs.Lila Daniel St. Mathew said awareness and sensitisation are very important.
“Most times we are very reactionary and not as proactive as we should be. This was why I took the bold step of organising a conference in Lagos, in 2014 during16 Days of Activism against Gender Based Violence campaign, themed: ‘International Conference Against Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Trafficking”.
We dealt with various issues and a communique was sent to our working partners like the United Nation (UN) Women and Women Affairs & Poverty Alleviation of Lagos State.
“GBV affects productivity at work, be it a professional or business woman. It has been an uphill task to get corporate organisations to buy into the fact that GBV should receive the same awareness and support that is given to cancer, HIV among other deadly diseases. The effects of this form of violence are worse than cancer because it can span generations. It could wreck great havoc on the family and society. In fact, it is life-threatening and lethal. An abusive person and the abused cannot perform at full potential. Most times they need to be counselled with therapy and I have had to handle quite a few”.
