Anyone that knows me personally knows how strongly I feel against gender based violence, women all over the world are subjected to so much pain, from rape, sexual assaults, domestic violence all the way to female genital mutilation.
Its crazy how people justify cultural practices that are centered around inflicting pain.
Yesterday the 6th of February 2022 was Zero Tolerance for female genital mutilation. Saw a lot of posts and Campaigns that caught my attention.
Today I’m attending an international forum on gender based violence and harmful traditional practices organized by Wassu Kafo.
It’s one thing to know what FGM is and hear distant stories but hearing a victim and survivor of FGM talking really breaks my heart.
It’s 2022 and we still have people supporting such inhuman acts.
It hurts to see the so called educated individuals justify things like this.
Why is the burden of purity on women alone?
People need to focus on addressing the men that support these practices and justify them in anyway.
Don’t even get me started on domestic violence.
Some weak frustrated men who lack self control decide to beat their spouses to express dominance.
These “men” want to be seen as lions when it comes to their wives but are nothing but scared puppies when challenged by their peers.
Why do we have cultural beliefs that make excuses for these cowardly boys that want to be seen as men.
Don’t get me wrong domestic violence from any gender is disgusting, I’m focusing on men inflicting harm to women because it’s basically a norm in this part of the world.
Girls are taught to accept any and everything a man does so she can “keep her home”.
Sexual assaults : Rape ( Marital rape included)
Why do some men think it’s impossible to rape their wives?
Because they view these women as property
Why are victims blamed ?
Why don’t people focus on the character flaw men who are violent, sexually assault and rape women have?
Somehow people justify these with comments about her dressing, her choice of words, where she was, they ask questions like” what did she wear?”
There is nothing that justifies rape, the rapist are sick, weak individuals that lack self control .
Then Child marriage 😡
We can have all the campaigns we want and talk to all the parents but that is not enough in this part of the world people ignore the fact a grown man being okay with marrying a 10 year old child is sick.
Parents permission or not as long as a girl is below 18, if you’re above 18 ( talk less of 40 plus) and you marry her or have sexual relations with her you should be arrested!
NMarriage is a lifetime commitment and you subject your child to a lifetime of torment and abuse.
How do you claim to love that child?
I’m not hating on arranged marriages, If your culture encourages arranged marriages that’s fine as long as it’s between consenting adults.
A child cannot consent for everything else so how do some men and parents justify this abuse by claiming the child agreed?
Some people say things like “I was married as a child, so why can’t you” or “my parents got me married early so I’d do the same to my child”.
I have some questions Are you happy? Did that child marriage make your life better? How did you feel when you were being forced? Don’t you want to give your child a better life than the life you had?
I don’t want to drag this on too much, I just had to express myself.
It’s 2022 let’s all do better , let’s end the “silence culture” because keeping quiet makes you as guilty as the perpetrators so let’s speak up, take a stand against barbaric and disgusting practices.
Help the victims/ survivors as much as we can.
Blogging with Thorri 