GETTING MEN TO COMMIT

 

I was in shock and my heart, broken. Tears filled my eyes but I tried to stay strong. I wished so hard that I had some kind of magical powers to make things work out the way it should. The wailing, sleepless nights, emotional crisis, the trauma, the pain, agony, anguish*whew*. Please, it had to be a dream but you know what? It is not. That woman, that girl is going through all of that. So, am no longer shocked but heart broken yet staying strong for her.

Who is she? She is that young girl born to a man who chose to rape her. Her own father who ought to protect her being the very one to violate her. She is that girl who is so scared to speak out for fear of being battered to death. She has so much scars on her skin for everytime she says no to that uncle. She is that girl whose madam's sons have chosen to take turns to have sex with her and still threaten to kill her should she open up. Truth is, should she utter a word, madam won't even believe her. So many murder she has been forced to commit all in the name of abortion. Am sure her womb is destroyed that she just may never have a child of her own. And yet, you wonder why she hates men so much like she has been left with any choice.

She grew older and survived all of that. Fell in love with a man whose strength can only be proven in his home. A coward I call him cos he cannot stand up to his fellow man thus, he takes it all out on that poor, innocent woman. Like she hasn't suffered enough. A slave she has become to a man who ought to be her husband. Her place, he says, should be in the kitchen and when he needs to satisfy his sexual desires, she must satisfy him, whether she's exhausted from all the work she's done in the house. She is never appreciated for whatever act of love she does but rather, he hits her at the slightest provocation. Bad enough he drinks to stupor and comes home with stains of lipsticks from different women every night and yet, she does the laundry.

This must stop! It has to! It is barbaric and should not be heard of. But no matter how much we come together to end this violence and discrimination as women, it yields little until you get that man to commit. Every man out there needs to stand up and say no to violence against women and girls. A real man would stay committed to see this become a reality. What you would never want to be done to your sister or mother, you should never do to another's daughter, sister and mother. It is time for the men to join forces with the women in solidarity to say, "enough is enough". If every man gets committed to this cause, there would be no need to hold campaigns to put an end to this menace. All we are asking is for our voices to be heard. Besides, we were created out of your own ribs to be by your side to help you and not beneath you to be trampled upon. 

Get committed to ending violence against women and girls! Join the campaign and be counted. Visit http://saynotoviolence.org/international-volunteer-day-take-action-end-violence-against-women-and-girls