ITS TIME TO BREAK THE SILENCE:END WIFE BEATING NOW

“THE GREATEST VALUE OF A SOCIETY IS SEEN IN HOW IT TREATS ITS MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS “ Muhatma Ghandi

“ Today we confront a silent epidemic. A crime that hides behind closed doors. A crime that shatters homes , futures and lives “- wife beating

Wife beating is a brutal form of domestic violence where a husband inflicts physical, emotional, and psychological harm on his wife. Every nine seconds somewhere in the world, a woman is beaten often by the man who vowed to protect her . One in three women globally have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once or twice in their life. Which brings us to question ourselves, IF HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS WHY IS IT OFTEN A PLACE OF FEAR FOR MILLIONS OF WOMEN? .

Men perform this brutal act ignorant of the impacts it leaves in our fellow women which is , physically; the broken bones , the scars, the permanent injuries. Emotionally; the fear , the anxiety, the depression and Socially; the isolation, the shame, and the silence. But the truth is “ the bruises may heal , but the scars on the soul remain for a life time”. Domestic violence knows no race, no class and no religion.Yet society often shrouds it in silence masking brutality under the guise of “ family matters “ .

Many victims may stay in these abusive homes out of fear, financial dependence, the hope that things will change or concern for children which brings us to a contradictory conclusion that “ its not weakness . It’s survival “. But abuse is never justified and silence only empowers the abuser just like the quote by Edmund Burke says” The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” . We must acknowledge the fact that this is not a private issue but a crime , a violation of basic human dignity worst of all as it is seen as a form of correction from husbands to their wives and disappointedly supported by family members most often the wife’s parents. This act demands urgent change.

It is time to break the cycle. We must listen , believe and support survivors, not judge them. Education, advocacy and stronger enforcement of laws are crucial to stop domestic violence once and for all. For many children have lossed their mothers, many mothers have lossed their daughters and many siblings have lossed their sisters , while the perpetrators of this horrible act may still move around freely looking for their next victim, WHO KNOWS?.

Imagine if it were your sister, your mother or daughter would you still remain silent? Home should be a place of love and not a battlefield of survival. Our voices can be the difference between life and death . Let us tear down the walls of fear and shame and end the cycle because when children especially boys grow up in an abusive home they tend to behave like their fathers , seeing no value for the opposite sex simply put “ violence begets violence “. This makes me ask myself if you can’t tolerate a misbehavior or be a patient husband then why get married better stay single than torment and maltreat someone’s daughter because, I strongly believe that domestic violence is a premeditated act ; it first starts off with the disrespect, the insults which later leads to the raising of hands and eventually the landing. In conclusion, let us speak up for every woman who cannot . Together we can and must end wife beating once and for all.