In most times when we talk about domestic violence, we tend to focus on physical, sexual and emotional abuse. Rarely does financial abuse come to mind. But why? Because financial abuse is less commonly understood or spoken about form of abuse. Sadly, this abuse or control of one’s access to family finances and assets is prevalent and occurs in up to 99 percent of domestic violence cases.
So, why are we not talking about it?
Many people are being emotionally abused without realizing it. Many wonder whether they are being abused but are confused as to what exactly emotional abuse is. As a way to help clear up any confusion you may have as to whether you are being emotionally abused, I present the most common tactics used by abusive people. The typical emotional abuser has an entire repertoire of tools he or she can use to manipulate and control their partner. While not every abuser uses these tactics in a deliberate, conscious way, many do.
Today is the International Women’s Day. I wish all the women out there a beautiful day!
Abusive marriages can be hard to leave at any age, but for older women with grownup children, there are issues that make it even harder. This is a factor service providers should have in mind as they come up with customized or targeted support.
Protecting women and girls from men’s violence should be every man’s business. There is a growing awareness that men, in partnership with women, can play a significant role in ending violence against women.
Happy Holidays and New Year from Safe Speaks.
The fight against gender-based violence is no longer an individual or women’s fight but a fight for every person. Each one of us has a responsibility to take action in eradicating the gender and social norms that promote violence against women.
Violence against women is deeply rooted in gender-based discrimination, social norms that accept violence, and gender stereotypes that continue cycles of violence. Many efforts to address this vice have mostly concentrated on response efforts and paid less attention to primary prevention which is the key to eliminating violence against women and girls completely.
The year 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year, more so for victims and survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Nigeria who have had to deal with the impact of two pandemics; COVID-19 and SGBV.
In May, Uwa was brutally raped in a church in Benin, the gruesome attack led to her death. Barakat Bello was raped and killed in her home in June; and Grace Oshiagwu was raped and killed in Ibadan.
GBV is a growing problem among older couples, women of age 50+ but it is not always taken seriously. So, they suffer in silence. It is rampant but mostly hidden because most victims fear reporting. This scenario is as a result of cultural, and social factors and norms, fear and embarrassment to ask for help, and the belief that the menace affects mostly the young women.
