16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence: Matters arising
16 days Activism, is a global 16 Days Campaign to challenge violence against women and girls. The campaign runs every year from 25th November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10th December, Human Rights Day. Originally called the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence” campaign, it was initiated in 1991 by the first Women’s Global Leadership Institute, held by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL), at Rutgers University, New Jersey.
Since 1991, more than 6,000 organisations from approximately 187 countries have participated in the campaign. The theme for the 2024 campaign is “Towards Beijing +30: UNiTE to End Violence Against Women and Girls”. In 2025, the global community will mark the 30th anniversary review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Gender-based violence is defined as violence that is directed against a woman because she is a woman or that affects women disproportionately. It includes acts that inflict physical, mental or sexual harm or suffering, threats of such acts, coercion and other deprivations of liberty. Violence against women is categorised under four key forms: physical, sexual, psychological and economic.
According to UN Women, every ten minutes, a women is killed. It is estimated that close to 90 per cent of current war casualties are civilians, the majority of whom are women and children, compared to a century ago when 90 per cent of those who lost their lives were military personnel. Although entire communities suffer the consequences of armed conflict, women and girls are particularly affected because of their status in society and their sex. Parties in conflict situations often rape women, sometimes using systematic rape as a tactic of war. Other forms of violence against women committed in armed conflict include murder, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy and forced sterilization. The Chibok girls comes to mind here. It is worthy of note that discrimination against women and inequality in the distribution of power and resources between men and women are root causes of violence against women.
The Platform for Action, adopted by the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995, identified the effects of armed conflict on women as one of 12 critical areas of concern requiring action by governments and the international community, and stressed the need to promote the equal participation of women in conflict resolution at decision-making levels.
The campaign’s goals include: Raising awareness of the escalating violence against women, revitalising commitments to end violence against women, calling for accountability and action from decision-makers, strengthening commitments to eliminate violence against women and girls, accelerating progress toward eliminating violence against women and girls, encouraging individuals and organisations to take action and raising awareness of the need for increased investment in policies, strategies, and resources.
Violence against women and girls is not new. Efforts by different organisations to ensure its elimination is also not new. The fact that some Nigerian culture and tradition encourages high level of discrimination is also not new. What seems new to me is when women recognise violence, are victims of violence, but chose to remain in abusive relationships and marriages. I am not encouraging divorce or asking women to leave their homes. What I am saying is do not go into abusive relationships with your eyes open, don’t wait to be killed. It is easy to spot an abusive man. Courtship exposes such people. More annoying is when women who are abused make excuses for their partners or even lie about it, all because of stigma. Worst of all, is a woman who is constantly living a battered life, praising her spouse on the social media, calling him all sorts of sweet names on hs birthdays or wedding anniversaries, living fake life, trying to impress, when in the actual fact, they are depressed. My pain for such people is that help will never come, because nobody knows. For some, it will be too late. Except for divine intervention.
O, how we have forgotten Osinachi Nwachukwu so soon. That women died with a lot of songs unsung. Her songs ministered to thousands, won souls for the kingdom, but she couldn’t minister to herself. Osinachi’s sad experience is a lesson, yet some women will rather remain in abusive marriages. Today, the children living without the love of a mother. The man, if not convicted will obviously continued his life, yet some women chose to live a lie. Until recently, I thought the Bible verse and oath taking during weddings, “until death do us apart”, is largely the reason where some women chose to remain in abusive relationships and die living their talents unfulfilled. It is not. Of course, no Pastor or Clergyman/woman will tell a woman to leave her matrimonial home except in extreme cases where it is obvious. They are also not expecting you to remain a punching bag or die in the marriage. I have heard a story of a woman who lied to her pastor that she was not beaten by her husband. Her child actually told the Pastor’s wife in her innocent voice, “my daddy beat my mummy yesterday”. How do you expect intervention?
I don’t even want to talk about those group of unmarried girls who are suffering and smiling in abusive relationships. Suffering both physical, mental and emotional abuse.
Women and girls no doubt suffer various types of discrimination from political, economical, cultural and even salient ones. Some men blame their wives for not having a male child and go on to either marry another woman or impregnate another woman. Boys are gold. Your legacy must continue, are some of the excuses men use to sow their wild oats. Unfortunately, research has shown that parents in their old age are been taken care of by their daughters. The treasured sons are hardly available for that. I am a proof. I took care of my late father for three years before he died. I made his hospital appointments, bought his drugs, took him outside the state when the need arises for medical examinations, stayed by his bedside when hospitalised, running up and down the hospital to get medical supplies, prayed and cried for God to heal him, and many more. I had younger brothers who could not do all that and barely had time to visit. I understand, they were all hustling, and one of them is the next of kin. My father of course was grateful. Proud that he had a daughter with so much strength, love and care. Sometimes when I see him looking at me, I see the thought of “I wish she was a boy”, in his eyes. That didn’t make him change his next of kin. I was capable for every other thing but not next of kin. I am a daughter not a son.
Women are burden bearers, caregivers with unimaginable strength that God has given us. Women are emotional with private cares and tears. Women are embodiment of beauty, they are the finished work of God. The world will be empty without the woman. As we celebrate another 16 days of activism, let each and everyone of us ponder, which area and how are we contributing to violence against women and girls. Some women are perpetrators of violence against other women. Women are blessed with talents and if given the opportunity, will make the world a better place. Any society that discriminates against women, finds it difficult to succeed. I hear men are also in abusive relationships, that is story for another day.
