Gender-based violence is a curable issue. It’s not a distant issue.
It is a not a problem for a specific country, or tribe or continent, it is here in our homes, schools, our marriages, our markets, media spaces and behind doors the society decides to keep shut, maybe because of the fear or shame of been victimized, well guess what it invades and infringes the human rights which makes it a punishable crime.
For decades, violence against women and girls has been the loudest face of GBV, but the story is bigger. GBV has gone beyond being a woman’s issue; men face this problem, but they are more on the side of being shamed, as they are tagged as feeble when they speak out, as masculinity has been distorted into an emotional prison.
People who prey on those they feel are inferior or lower than them are the ones who are morally weaker. Violating the human rights of another doesn’t make a superior; it makes you inhumane.
Children witness violence and gain trauma as an inheritance. Minority groups suffer in silence because of a lack of awareness built to protect their vulnerability.
To address the issue of GBV, let’s look at the culture that feeds it
The jokes that make abuse sound humorous
The elders who advise women to endure for the sake of their children and marriage
The parents who teach daughters to be silent and boys to be dominant
The institutions that demand proof when the victims cannot provide any
When society excuses these things, it brings about a scenario where power can freely harm, and where victims learn to stay quiet because speaking out brings shame and insults instead of justice.
If we must end GBV, then change must be a collective, bold effort.
We must raise awareness, justice must be faster, schools must teach consent, respect, emotional intelligence, and equality, and our churches and traditional rulers must join hands to speak loudly against harmful practices that hide under the guise of customs.
Communities must evolve, too. We cannot continue to raise daughters who believe in silence as a virtue and boys who believe in dominance as power. We need to raise individuals who believe that dignity and morals are universal.
Every citizen has a role to play, question harmful jokes, report cases of abuse, support survivors, and intervene in cases of abuse. Advocacy should be made personal; one voice may seem small, but silence is what strengthens abusers.
Gender base violence is not inevitable; it is preventable.
Fear cripples a society
Invisibility thwarts the growth of a society
Unpunished violence under develops a country
Let’s build a nation that is safe, equitable, and humane for the future, for our existing and coming generations. It starts with you and me.
It’s time to disregard the culture of silence
It’s time to protect the vulnerable and not the abusive
It’s time to choose humanity over traditions, justice over shame, and courage over comfort
Join the 16 Days of Activism against “GENDER BASED VIOLENCE” as we raise awareness and put a stop to this menace.