October 16,2018.
What other way can a leader demonstrate her seriousness and readiness to fight a menace in a society than lead from the front? This appears to be the thinking behind Cross river state chairperson for child protection commission,Chief Mrs.Theresa Ezama's symbolic walk against child abuse and gender-based violence, recently.
The Chairperson, speak against the monstrous acts of domestic violence, noting that it was time to walk the talk and ensure that all hands are on deck towards safeguarding the rights of every citizen and the most vulnerable in the society.
Ezama’s walk against domestic violence has further opened the conversation on the ravaging extent of domestic and sexual violence in our society.
“Rape should not be met with light sentencing; the minimum sentence.
We need new laws, which will respond adequately to the nature and occurrences of this era. Domestic Violence is a crime, and should be treated as such.
“A lot of progress has been made in the steps taken to protect the rights of children and in the war against the oppression of the female gender.
However, there is still so much to be done. We need to ask ourselves the hard question: for this cause we honour today, how can we truly ensure we are walking the talk?
“What we are tackling today is an almost innate culture which relegates the girl child to the background and forces them to suffer in silence.
In Cross river, we are waging a war against this culture and we will do everything within our power to transform ours to a culture of equality, respect and dignity for all. It is a journey of radical transformation, and our government is wholly committed to seeing it through.
“We are not just reactive in helping survivors but also taking aggressive steps to prevent future occurrences.
Our aim is to build a system of trust and accountability, where survivors are encouraged to speak out and potential perpetrators are discouraged to commit future acts,” the Chairman said.
Domestic violence in Nigeria is a problem as in many parts of Africa. There is a deep socio-cultural connection between domestic violence, that it tacitly acceptable to subject a woman to some form of discipline by her spouse.
This is age long and it continues today with no signs of reduction.
Domestic violence takes many forms including physical, sexual, emotional, and mental. Traditionally, domestic violence is committed against females. Common forms of violence against women in Nigeria are rape, acid attacks, molestation, wife beating, and corporal punishment.
Women often face physical violence at the hands of their family members. The most common forms of physical violence include rape, murder, slapping, and kicking. Some of the reasons that were given for physical abuse include their husbands being drunk, financial issues, and the rejection of a partner’s sexual advances.
Relationship inequality is also a strong indicator of physical violence. High levels of wife beating occur when the woman is making more money than her husband or partner is. This has been attributed to the lack of control the male partner feels within the relationship.
Women also often link the perpetration of physical violence with husbands who are very controlling. Women who justify wife beating are more likely to be victims of physical violence.
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Another form of violence which has received a lot of recent attention in Nigeria is acid baths. Acid baths are actions of violence where the perpetrator throws acid onto his or her victim’s body, resulting in disfigurement and possible loss of eyesight. Acid baths are a large issue for women that need to be addressed.
Sexual violence in Nigeria largely goes unreported because of the burden of proof necessary for conviction as well as the social stigma it brings. Until recently, the Nigerian police were not seen to arrest for sexual assault.
About 25percent of women reported forced sex at the hands of either their current partner or a former partner.
However, the Cross river state State government has taken several steps to curb the menace. These steps include legal proceedings to prosecute men who abuse their women or molest children.
She said in the last two and half years, the State has made a lot of in the war against the oppression of the female gender.
The symbolic walk undertaken by chief Mrs.Ezama will resonate well with the people of Cross river state State. It will act as a reawakening of consciousness that the time has come when Government would not sit back and watch perpetrators of dastardly acts of domestic violence to go unpunished.
TEV_Media
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