SPEAKING OUT !!!!!!

Every time I surf through the internet, listen to the news or read a newspaper there is always something about a woman who has been abused sexually or domestically. Recording a rape incidence by the rapist and uploading on social media is fast becoming a norm in Nigeria, and the most painful part is the rights of women who are mostly the victims of abuse are not protected.


According to thinkafricapress.com,


Sexual and domestic abuse occurs across the world but Nigeria’s discriminatory laws and dismissive police, compound its particularly high rates of domestic violence. Most potently, its prevalent culture of silence and stigma for the victims of domestic violence hinders public acknowledgement of the problem. There exists an urgent need to challenge the social prejudices and institutional structures in order to protect its women, not just from danger, but also from ridicule, fear and isolation.

Stephane Mikala, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Africa program, said:
"On a daily basis, Nigerian women are beaten, raped and even murdered by members of their family for supposed transgressions, which can range from not having meals ready on time to visiting family members without their husband’s permission," adding that "husbands, partners and fathers are responsible for most of the violence".

Although more widespread in South Asia, acid attacks on women which cause extreme pain, disfigurement and can be fatal, have also been on the rise in Nigeria, and have failed to be taken seriously as an offence by the Nigerian authorities.

A combination of factors contributes to the high rates of domestic violence in Nigeria. In general, domestic violence is seen as a 'private' matter to be dealt with by the family, typically a domain of male authority.

Two key factors help to perpetuate domestic violence. The first is the inability of many women to escape violence and domination due to their disadvantaged economic status. Many women and girls depend on the financial resources of their husband, father or families. This forces them to put up with domination for fear of the withdrawal of this financial support. In Nigeria, female adult literacy is below the national average at 54.6% and the number of women below the poverty line is 65% compared to that of men at 35%. Yet even for educated women, domestic violence poses a serious threat to their safety and well being. According to a recent study by the Global Press Institute, 65% of educated women have been beaten by their husband or boyfriend.

A second crucial factor is a culture of silence that stigmatises the victims of domestic violence rather than the perpetrators. In most cases women are told to "go home and be a good wife" when they brought complaints to the police, making women fear the label of being a "bad wife". This reinforces the need for raising awareness about women's political rights and to educate women that they are not to blame for the physical, sexual or psychological abuse to which they are subjected.

“I decided to create this blog, to enable Nigerian women SPEAK OUT  and share their experiences so that other women can learn from their experience and also encourage each other, as well as creating awareness and hoping that the right authority will hear and come to our aid.”

Please if you want to share your story with us, do send us a mail @ (speakoutnaijawomen@gmail.com), stating your name, age, state of origin and then your story. Please do not send us false stories…………………