As the world marks the United Nations (UN)’s 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence (GBV) from November 25 (the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10 (Human Rights Day), Juliet Jacob Ochenje writes on the factors pushing women to tragic deaths in the hands of their lovers.
Domestic violence is a pervasive issue affecting societies globally, and Nigeria is no exception. A recent report by the Lagos State Government reveals a staggering 5,624 cases of domestic and sexual violence recorded between August 2022 and July 2023.
Tragically, individual stories, like that of a mother of four who endured relentless abuse, underline the devastating impact of domestic violence. Despite pleas for her to leave, she tragically lost her life, leaving her children motherless.
According to Miss Amarachi Iwuala, a close friend to the deceased, ‘the mum of four who refused to walk away from an abusive marriage because of her children died after years of allegedly domestic violence. She was married to a man who was violent towards her, not just violent but he would lock the doors and windows, raise music volume and then start beating her so that help won’t come for her.
”One day, the man beat her till she was unconscious. The whole compound joined in rushing her to the hospital, after treatment she came back to the same house. People advised her to leave, she said her children are still little that she wanted them to grow a bit before she leaves. She wanted them to grow yet she was giving birth to more. She had four children, the last one is just 7 months old.
”Two weeks ago, an old woman living in their compound called this lady’s mother asking her to come take her daughter if they still want her alive. The mother replied that her daughter said she is not leaving. Two days ago, on a Thursday, 2nd November, 2023, the compound people woke up in the morning to hear the man beating the woman as usual. After the beating, normal life continued. They said that night, neighbours saw the lady doing her normal chores, she stayed up till 11pm, washing and hanging clothes only for them to wake up the next day to hear that the lady had died.
”The husband is saying that he slept in the sitting room while she slept in the bedroom, that he only entered the room in the morning and found her dead. Neighbours said that her bed was soaked with water and there is still no explanation for that. The husband is saying that she should be buried immediately as he does not have money to pay for mortuary bills.
”The sad part, her father heard the news and had a heart attack because she was his only daughter he was rushed to the hospital but news has it that he did not make it. Her 7 months old baby cried the whole day and refused to eat every food that was given to her, she was looking for breast milk. She cried till she started running temperature.
See how many lives have been affected by her choice, four children rendered motherless?”
This heartbreaking narrative underscores the urgent need to address the root causes of domestic violence in Nigeria.
Why won’t they leave?
Instances like the death of renowned gospel musician, Osinachi Nwachukwu, resonates when deaths arising from domestic violence are discussed.
* The late Osinachi Nwachukwu
The reluctance of many women to leave abusive relationships due to religious or societal pressures highlight the multifaceted challenges that contribute to this crisis. The fear of judgment, concerns about child custody, and economic dependence further compound the issue.
Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) emphasises that violence against women, especially intimate partner violence, is a severe public health problem and a violation of human rights. Shockingly, statistics from UN Women reveal that approximately 30% of women worldwide have experienced physical or sexual violence. That is about 1 in 3 30% of women worldwide.
In an interview with African Health Report, Mrs. Ezinwa Nwachukwu from the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Nigeria, underscores that there should be no justification for domestic violence. She attributes the rise in such cases to societal factors like social media, movies, and music, emphasising the need for a collective effort to break the culture of silence.
“There are no causes to domestic violence and it is not expertly right to say that there should be a cause for somebody to go through domestic violence, because nobody deserves to be violated and nobody has the right to violate anyone there should be no reason for anybody to violate anybody,” she declared.
She also said the factors fuelling domestic violence include social media, movies etc, saying, “I know that in recent times, a lot of people are having mental breakdown, and people going through some sort of frustration, so people tend to take out their frustrations and do it negatively. But I just want to say that I know that psychologically, there is an aspect to it, how they have also pointed out the fact that there is lot of graphic representation of issues that have gone to reconfigure people mindsets, and make people more prone to violence. So I’ll give you an example, on social media, there are all sorts of things; movies, songs, especially rap songs that causes violence.
”More women and the girl child go through domestic violence. (The rising data) currently, is because it is the women speaking out. But according to data, more than 200 men go through domestic violence but before now, the data out there was that there were more women suffering domestic violence, more girl children because that is the reports that we receive.
”Over the years, there have been the culture of silence, and we are on the way to totally breaking it. And so, a lot of people feel confident now also because of the structures that are in place. People are more confident now to come out and report. The daily average of reports that we receive at FIDA Nigeria every day is 18.
”18 women walk into our office to complain of domestic violence daily, and I can only speak of the data that we have and not internet data or any other organisation’s data out there. But on the average, at FIDA legal clinics, we receive 18 cases a day. I’m not talking about those that are there for a continuation or those that are there to follow up or for mediation. I mean, new people who walk in everyday.”
Justice system not doing justice to domestic violence cases
“The justice system is clocked and because is clocked, judicial process is slow and that can be very deterring, Ezenwa lamented. ”I would say that we have a lot of laws that seek to prohibit violence against everyone; women, children and men.
”However, because of the clocked judicial system, it is difficult for us to start and finish cases of domestic violence within record time, In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), we have four special courts that handle cases of sexual gender based violence. The FCT High Court specifically has a process of speeding up cases that are on sexual gender based violence.”
Cycle of violence
“Children who witnessed domestic violence are prone to also be perpetuators of domestic violence, especially in a system and a country like ours where people commit these crimes and, other people don’t see that they are punished or there’s any kind of punishment.
”The justice system, while having laws against domestic violence, faces challenges with delays, hindering the swift resolution of cases,” Barr. Nwachukwu stated, highlighting the concerning cycle of violence, where children exposed to domestic abuse may perpetuate it in the future.”
Combating violence against women and girls a collective effort
To eradicate this epidemic, urgent measures are necessary, the FIDA executive stated, noting that education and awareness campaigns should challenge societal norms that perpetuate violence. She also emphasised that strengthening the judicial system, providing support services, and fostering a culture where victims feel empowered to speak out are crucial steps toward creating a safer environment for women and children in Nigeria.
Violence against women is preventable. The health sector has an important role to play to provide comprehensive health care to women subjected to violence, and as an entry point for referring women to other support services they may need.
It is time for concerted efforts from government bodies, civil society, and communities to dismantle the barriers that enable domestic violence, ensuring a safer and healthier future for all.
