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The issue of Gender based violence has been around for quite some time now but it indeed interests me to think that this issue is being raised at such as time as this. The world just ended the 16 days of activism against Violence against Women or lets just say Gender Based Violence (November 25 – December 10) and I must say that gone are the days when we talk about abuse and gender based violence generally and we think of women first, as though it starts and ends with women. Now, we are beginning to realize that it goes beyond the women; we really need to address the men who are the main perpetrators of this injustice.
It is also important to note that gender based violence isn’t just about beating a man or a woman. That limits it to physical violence. It also includes sexual violence, which consists of rape, incest, starvation of sex, stalking, sexual abuse etc, physical violation; battery, trafficking, kidnapping, abduction, etc. Others include taunting and other means of psychological abuse.
Funny enough, there have been a few cases of men being violated against but like I said, “Few cases”. It is not common. I chose to talk about the cases of men so it wouldn’t appear like I’m being sentimental. I’m female, you know. However, I want us to know that when we talk of gender, we don’t only refer to women, we refer to men too. We even refer to boys and girls as well; not only the grownups.
Having a programme like the one that came up on Friday, 2nd December, 2011 tagged “Young men against Gender Based Violence” by Education as a Vaccine and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Abuja, Nigeria really excited me. I had high hopes prior to the event. I looked forward to commitments from young men to join the fight against Gender Based Violence and not limit it to a “women’s thing”. I was really glad when it turned out so. It wasn’t only the young men, but even Nigerian celebrities like Jude Abaga aka M.I and Audu Maikori of Chocolate City Group were there to grace the occasion as ambassadors of the campaign.
I sincerely hope that the commitments that the young men made would extend beyond that event. That way, we would be sure that Nigerian men are really rising up to the challenge to protect women and girls. If you are a man, then you shouldn’t try to prove it by beating up or raping a woman or young girl; you should prove it by protecting them with the strength you claim to have.
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