By: Ismail Amanatullahi
Domestic violence is prominent in Nigeria as it is widespread across Africa. There is a deep cultural belief that it is acceptable to hit a woman to discipline her. The cases of domestic violence are high and show no sign of reduction. Domestic violence takes many forms including physical, sexual, emotional and mental. Common forms are rape, acid attacks, molestation, wife-beating and corporal punishment. It is estimated that one in every three women suffers from domestic violence and intimate partner violence.
The menace is eating deep as most victims do not speak out. On 27th February 2021, THE GUARDIAN NIGERIA recorded that cases of domestic violence are on the rise especially the physical aspect of it. They reported that at least once a week, there would be a case of a man beating, maiming or killing his wife and in some rare cases, a woman doing the same for her husband.
The Lagos State Government also revealed that it recorded a total of 10,007 reported cases of domestic violence including sexual abuse perpetrated against adults and children. Between May 2019 till August 16, 2021. A breakdown of the cases shows 4,150 domestic violence, 177 rape, 255 attempts to commit rape/sexual assault. A total of 2,980 children have been exposed to emotional abuse.
Another form of violence that has received a lot of attention in Nigeria is acid baths. Acid baths are a large issue for women that needs to be addressed. In 1990, a former beauty queen rejected her boyfriend’s attempt to rekindle their relationship. In retaliation, he threw acid on her face with the words ” let me see how many men will love you now”.
One would ask, what are the reasons for all these abuses and violence? The first is that Nigeria is based largely on a patriarchal society where violence is seen as a means to chastise a woman and to improve her. It is common for the husband to believe that by paying the bride price, he now owns his wife.
Relationship inequality is also a strong indicator of physical violence. A high level of wife-beating occurs when the wife earns more money. This is attributed to the lack of control the man feels in the relationship. Wife beating is often linked with husband’s who are earning less than their spouse.
Another cause is fertility. A study taken of women visiting the fertility clinic shows many reported some form of domestic violence- either physical, mental or emotional. Some possible reasons also include drunk state of spouses, financial issues; resulting in possible frustration, rejection of sexual advances by partners, couple age disparity to mention a few.
Before going further, Do we know that men are also victims of domestic abuse? Do we know that they suffer from physical, emotional and mental abuse? We see examples of such on TV. The female there would slap the male, hit him, nag at him and poke at his shortcomings but we see nothing wrong with that. Some even call it romantic! If this were to be done to a woman, the human rights activists will all stand up but are the man not human too?
Doesn’t he possess feelings or is blood not running in his veins? Some men suffer daily in their homes due to abuse inflicted on them by their wives and they can’t speak out because they are supposed to be a man. Supposedly they speak out, how many of us would believe them?
Abuse is regarded as a crime and penalties are stated for it. This however is the punishment for spousal abuse. They are mostly misdemeanours with possible jail time of six(6) months up to one(1) year and probation up to two(2) years in most cases.
The defendant is placed under a restraining or protective order. If a weapon was used, or the accused has a criminal record of assault, the defendant would be charged with a felony. Depending on the circumstances of the abuse and the severity and pervasiveness of abusive conduct, the defendant can face from several months to ten(10) years in prison.
Fallen victims of abuse can have a serious effect on the way a person thinks and interacts with the world around them. Anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression symptoms are commonly observed among survivors of domestic violence. PTSD is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event. Some common symptoms are nightmares, flashbacks, severe anxiety and uncontrollable thought about the event.
Several solutions have been suggested to reduce or eradicate domestic abuse. Some are: Victims should start speaking out, seeking help, learning appropriate forms of discipline, scrutinising preconceived notions about divorce and divorcees, sensitization and awareness and finally, children shouldn’t grow up in abusive homes.