ENDING VIOLENCE
AGAINST WOMANHOOD
Fred Doc Nwaozor
Today, Saturday, November 25, the global community is commemorating the 2017 International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women. From November 25 – the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women to December 10 – the Human Rights Day, the sixteen (16) days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence Campaign is a time to galvanize action to end violence against women and girls around the world.
Undoubtedly, no society in existence can be said to be complete if a woman
is yet to be found in it, regardless of its nature or size. We can testify to
this fact by considering how a woman came into the world. Of course it is no
longer news that having created man, God the creator thought it wise to form a
woman from the rib of a man; this was so because God realized of what benefit a
woman would be to a man in any society/arena he finds himself.
A family for instance – a nuclear family precisely, which remains the
smallest society on earth, can never strive successfully or attain to its
anticipated height if a woman is missing. Realistically, a family cannot be
formed in the first place if a woman is nowhere to be found. Having formed a
family with the help of a woman, if she eventually dies, the affected family will
live to suffer the vacuum her eternal demise has created. This implies that,
psychologically, no widower can boast of being a happy man, especially a
situation where the late wife left some kids behind.
Sometimes even when the widower has gotten married to another woman, provided
the late wife left some indelible footprints on the sand of time, he shall
remain in an unending emotional trauma, perhaps for eternity. In such
situation, it is only his creator that can provide a lasting succour.
Ab initio, the womenfolk has
been considered to constitute the integral part of the wider society. It is
obvious that a social union cannot achieve an effective goal if the female
members aren’t carried along. It might sound a bit controversial but the truth
remains that nature had ordained woman to be the most attractive being in any
society she belongs. This is the reason whenever a social group of people
intends to pay a courtesy visit to a certain office holder, if they fail to
include at least a female member among the delegate, the said outing might end
up fruitless. This is so, because the presence of a woman has a natural
tendency of arresting the heart of any man irrespective who he is.
The political terrain is not left out. Any man occupying a political
position would boldly testify that his beloved wife is the reason he is
thriving assiduously and successfully. This implies that a woman is in charge
of any leadership position, though her impact might seem invisible. The
advisory role, both morally and otherwise, a woman plays in the life of her
spouse who occupies a political post supersedes whatever counsel he receives
from his appointees, friends, or well-wishers.
Considering the church, which is an institution as well as one of the
oldest societies across the globe, there’s no need reiterating that its
sustainability from the outset has been possible owing to the effort of the
womenfolk. Noting that women are closer to the church, the easiest way to
conscientize a married man, or any man whatsoever, toward the uplift of a
church is through the woman in his life, since it is obvious that a woman has
the key to a man’s heart.
Similarly, a woman has been proven to be more pious than a man. This is
the reason she remains the engine room towards the uplift of the children’s
spiritual lives. And it is worth noting that someone or a family whose
spiritual life is porous is apparently living like a tree without root.
Frankly, the role of a woman both in her immediate and wider society
cannot be overemphasized. From the aforementioned facts, it can be pinpointed
that without a woman, the children cannot be properly raised, be it morally,
academically, religiously, and what have you; a man’s social, political and emotional
life shall remain incapacitated and in shambles; above all, the affected
society would remain seemingly stagnant and retrogressive in its day-to-day
activity.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the International
Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, it is our civic
responsibility to ensure that women or girls whom are ubiquitously vulnerable
owing to their nature are duly respected and safeguarded at all cost, with a
view to strengthening our respective societies and the nation at large. We can
contribute our individual quotas by acknowledging that women are the backbone
of any society in existence.
It is estimated that about thirty-five per cent (35%) of women worldwide
have experienced either physical and/or sexual violence by a non-partner at
some points in their lives. On the other hand, some studies show that up to
seventy per cent (70%) of women have experienced physical and/or sexual
violence from an intimate partner. Either domestic or non-domestic, such form
of violence has lingered in various countries, particularly Nigeria, thus
making people insinuate that it is an acceptable tradition.
Violence against women is a human rights violation. It’s a consequence
of discrimination against women both in law and in practice, and of persisting
inequalities between men and women. Violence against women/girls arguably
impedes progress in many areas of human endeavour including poverty
eradication, curbing contagious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, strengthening peace
and security, thereby crippling nation building.
The monster, which continued to be a global pandemic, is not inevitable.
Prevention is possible and essential too. Everyone has a responsibility to
prevent and end violence against women and girl children, starting by
challenging the culture of discrimination that allows it to exist.
Legislation also has a vital role to play. There ought to be a stiff law
to ensure that anyone at all levels found guilty of any violence against
women/girls to include rape, battering, female genital mutilation, subjection
into prostitution, or what have you, is duly brought to book. Violence like
rape deserves life imprisonment, or any other form of capital punishment,
because such ruthless act can lead to murder.
Parents and guardians on their part ought to equally cough up reasonable
time for their wards, particularly the female folks, to enable them know their
left from right when they grow up. The various schools should as well revive
their guidance and counselling section towards providing the needed guideline
and caution for both the male and female students. The religious bodies are not
left out in this crusade; they are expected to devote much time in letting the
worshippers realize the dangers inherent in the menace.
Women and society are interwoven; if you remove either of them, the
other one would be ostensibly meaningless. Needless to say that the former is
as crucial as the latter, thus must be treated as such at all times. Think
about it!
Comrade Nwaozor, a Public Affairs
Analyst
& Civil Rights Activist, is the Executive Director,
Docfred Resource Hub - Owerri
_________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
Twitter: @mediambassador
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