Women are Special: Let’s End Violence Against Women Together!!!

By @Presh_Avtadak

In the early hours of 8th March it struck me as I rolled from one end of my bed to the other after being geared up by a mentor’s ping to read his article on punch newspaper. Gazing round my room looking for a source of inspiration to kick off a write up on this special day, I found none.  Standing up from the bed, I headed to the sitting room, turned on the TV and straight to Trace Urban channel, to listen to some good tunes, since music put me in a  meditative mood all time. And finally, I got it, I was tuned to write these few lines!!! No need of doing a first draft as I was running behind time  and needed to do some house chores before setting out for work on this very beautiful morning. As I type on the key board of my laptop, I remember the question my dear darling heartthrob

and friend in Malaysia asked me few months ago “In your next world will you still love to be a girl?” And I proudly answered YES. I am a lady and I am proud to be one despite the way the society looks at us and the gender inequality that follows suit.

It is another International Women Day Celebration and I am glad to be alive to witness another great celebration meant for women, the specials of God. Did you just raise an eyebrow?  My dear, if you still don’t know we are specials of God, then get it at the back of your mind that we are special seeds of the great Maker. For the benefit of those that don’t know much about this special day, here are a few lines to that effect.  March 8th of every year is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future.

To my understanding, in some countries like Bulgaria, Russia, China and Vietnam, this day is usually a national holiday.
Some people will be asking, “Why this day?”  Suffragettes campaigned for women’s right to vote. The word was derived from the word “suffrage” meaning the right to vote. International Women’s Day honours the work of the suffragettes, celebrates women success and reminds of inequalities that need to be redressed (www. Internationalwomensday.com).

It is suffice to add that this great day has always been observed by people since the early 1900s. IWD is over a hundred years old!
Each year, IWD has always had a theme which every observers of the day are usually seen as a yardstick to their own point of action. This year’s theme: THE GENDER AGENDA: GAINING MOMENTUM.  The rights of women have extensively progressed in virtually all countries, but that notwithstanding as we celebrate women achievement, we should not fail to further champion areas of loopholes. As a global call to champion equality, each and every one of us should contribute in their own little way in our families, communities to shoot like diamond in the skies because that’s what we are.

As organisations, governments, women’s groups, institutions corporations and the media mark this day, these groups select different themes every year that is relevant to subject of discuss local or globally. The United Nation, has announced that the International Women’s Day Theme for 2013 is “A Promise is a Promise: Time for action to end Violence against women”.

Various efforts have taken place on issues of violence against women both locally and internationally but that notwithstanding, incidents of abuse of women are still on the increase all over the world. Some will be throwing this question at me as they read this article, “Are women the only ones violated, what about men?”  To answer that, I will categorically state here that men are also violated, however, the rate at which women are violated can never be compared to that of men but that is not to say the male folks deserves it.

Nevertheless, for the purpose of this special women’s day and this article, I will be concentrating on violence against women in our society.  Violence against women is a global issue and the time has come for its complete eradication in our society before more harm will be caused by this unmanly act exhibited by some men in the society. Violence against women come in different forms but the most widely convicted one is sexual violence which so many women have fallen victims of in different societies notwithstanding the country.

So many women have been violated and 80 per cent of these women have similar after effect of FEAR. Most women who have been sexually abused find it difficult to speak out because of  the fear of being stigmatised  or fear of the attacker coming after them again. In the same vein, so many women have died due to their inability to speak out to the appropriate quarters.

My friend was a victim of domestic and sexual violence; she survived because she knew she could not handle the problem alone and asked for intervention from the appropriate quarters. She looked down on the society way of  stigmatising the victims and spoke out to save her life and that of her two kids. I implore all women who are victims of VAW reading this article to speak out so as to save their lives while there is life, and to those who know such women to encourage them to speak out so as to help fight this global demon.

As a man, learn to acknowledge that your mother, sister, wife and every other woman in this planet are special beings and as such do not deserve the abuse they receive from men. Be a real man and stand against abuse on women’s right and life in your family, offices, and community at large. Real men do not beat women and real men do not support violence against women. Speak to that your male friend, who sees women as objects of abuse over lunch or over drinks in an evening at bar on how special women are and discourage him from being a woman beater or abuser. Yes, you can do it!!

We, members of the society can further help curb this issue by stopping to stigmatise the victims of this circumstance.  If we want a better world, our women must be treated right and equal. Sustainable development cannot be effective if women are locked up in a cupboard where they are not allowed to express themselves and contribute to the society meaningfully.

Sustainable development cannot be effective if girls are given out in marriage too early or if women are denied of proper education.
Each and every one of us has a role to play in curbing the global rise in violence against women in our society and it begins with each of us seeing women as a special being, who are to be loved and encouraged to contribute to the sustainable development of our various communities, states, country and world at large. The rights of women should be advanced with equal opportunities to do better in different sectors given to women.

To its end, let’s not forget, sustainable development is a collective responsibility that should be shared by all for a massive and effective outcome; women should be part of it.

I celebrate my mother!  I celebrate all my adopted mothers! I celebrate my auntie’s! I celebrate my sisters! I celebrate my female mates!! I celebrate my younger girls!!

Celebrate your mother! Celebrate you sister (s)! Celebrate your wife (ives for those that married more than one wife)!! Celebrate Women. They are just so Special.

Join Us tO sToP vIoLeNcE aGaInSt WoMeN!

By Precious Ajunwa
Co-founder Galaxy for Peace Project
@Presh_Avtadak
Email preciousajunwa@gmail.com