Violence Against Women: Of Sanity And Insanity

Violence Against Women : Of Sanity And Insanity

 By: Emeke Nwaoboli | Delta State

 

According to some findings by Afri-Dev as published in ''The Cable'', about three in 10 men between the ages of 15 through 19 believe that a man is justified to  hit his wife if she burns food, goes out without permission, neglects the children or denies him sexual gratification. As preposterous as it may appear, the same findings reveal that close to four in 10 women of the ages of 15 through 49 equally believe that a man has the right to hit a woman for the same reasons identified above.

The reasons, you will agree with me, are infantile and has only surged more domestic violence against women.

Recall last year, the story of Ronke Shonde, a banker and mother of two who was reportedly beaten to death by her husband, Mr Lekan Shonde on May 6.
Similarly, on the 3rd of July of the same year at Erio-Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area, Ekiti-State, one Josiah Johnson was alleged to have beaten his wife, Mrs Julianah Johnson to death for refusing him sex. These and many other dolorous stories depict the height of violence against women.

The notion that women are weak vessels could, perchance, be the reason men use women as objects for practicing their takwando skills, their shameful display of weakness.

Constantly, women are encumbered with different forms of violence ranging from physical violence such as rape, murder, beating, acid baths to psychological, economic, emotional, and relationship violence.

While some men would never dare raise a hand on a woman, others derive joy from it. Some men assume hitting a woman is the best corrective measure to control her. Some erroneously think women act like children and should therefore be trained with the fist. This is a twenty first century aberration.
Cases of violence against women abound and should be put to a standstill.   

Inconsequential traditional believes asserting that men are eligible to hit women for whatsoever reason should be thrown to river benue. Women are not animals, and even if they were, animals are still entitled to protection against violence and abuse.
Aside the fact that the act is immoral, unconstitutional and unethical, it's religiously outlawed and could result to psychiatric disabilities, physical, emotional, sexual and economic debacles.

For heaven's sake, why would a sane man see nothing insane in hitting a woman? Violence against women not only affects women, but ruins the behaviors of children. Observation indicates that a man who beats his wife has 80% chances of begetting a violent child, a bully.

Besides, it could make female children view men as touts, vicious and unsympathetic fellows. It's an aberration to think the power of a clenched fist is what would breed a closed mouth.

Men should stop expecting women to behave like them, but rather, appreciate their nature. They should also know that women don't act like children, they just act like women.

To make violence against women extinct, there's a need for proper sensitization of the people, especially males. Children should be taught that there's no reason a man should hit a woman. The mass media and the three arms of government should also intensify their efforts in stopping violence against women. Women would always behave like women. Men should always remember this and device other conflict resolution techniques when tempted to hit a woman.

It's a big insanity to hit a woman. Women are invaluable jewels without which, men would not exist. Handle them with Solomon's wisdom. 

Emeke Nwaoboli is a Student, he writes via emekenwaoboli@gmail.com