Source: Leadership
Recently, the news making rounds in the print and social media is the sad story of Ronke, a banker, who was allegedly beaten to death by her husband. Ronke, a mother of two was found dead in her Lagos home on Friday last week, while her husband was said to have fled the scene of the crime. The Lagos State Police Command has since launched a manhunt for her husband, Mr. Lekan Shonde, and hopefully he will be caught soon and made to answer for his crime.

This is just one of the many cases of domestic violence that is suddenly on an upsurge in the country. Every week, at least a domestic abuse case becomes a headliner in the print and electronic media. “Husband beats wife to stupor, wife stabs husband to death, father rapes daughter”, and many more are making headlines of various news stories. From all indications, domestic violence in Nigeria is on the increase as the statistics are alarmingly daunting.

Sadly, domestic violence, especially violence against women has been part of the fabric of many societies and cultures worldwide. It is so commonplace that it is often going unnoticed. It has also failed to garner the level of concern it deserves in the light of the devastating effects on children and the family as a whole. 25 percent of women in Nigeria have to go through an ordeal of domestic violence and every fourth Nigerian woman suffers domestic violence in her lifetime. The worst forms of them are battering, trafficking, rape and homicide, various reports have claimed. With regards to the deceased, Ronke, residents in the area where she lived confirmed that she had been enduring an abusive marriage. Reports have it that she was serially abused and assaulted by her husband until the last attack led to her death. “He would tie her, beat her and take her mobile phones away. She should have left him long ago” one of the residents was reported to have said.

Domestic violence is a pattern of behaviour which involves violence or other abuse by one person against another in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person. This includes any behaviour that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone. Domestic violence in Nigeria is a problem as in many parts of Africa. and indeed the world. There is sadly a deep cultural belief in Nigeria that it is socially acceptable to hit a woman, to discipline a spouse. Traditionally, domestic violence is committed against females. Common forms of violence against women in Nigeria are rape, acid attacks, molestation, wife beating, corporal punishment and homicide.

Studies have shown that battered women suffer physical and mental problems as a result of domestic violence. Domestic violence has serious destructive social consequences including physical and psychological disorders. Also, the poorer the women are the greater for them is the risk of suffering from domestic violence. Women with fewer resources and those experiencing physical or psychiatric disabilities or living below the poverty line are at greater risk of domestic violence and lifetime abuse. Children are also affected by domestic violence even if they do not witness it directly. Also, despite Nigeria’s constitution, vows to eliminate discrimination and violence against women and promote the idea of freedom, equality and justice, Nigerian women’s’ rights are often violated with impunity. In some communities, wife-beating is often seen as justified, particularly in cases of actual or suspected infidelity on the part of the woman. A woman, who is abused in her family, has very low chances to get protection from the law. In most cases the victim of domestic violence is mistreated by law and dehumanized by society. Recent research has also shown there to be a direct and significant correlation between a country’s level of gender equality, and actual rates of domestic violence.

To remedy the domestic violence against women surge in Nigeria, all stakeholders must be involved. All hands must be on deck to tackle this surge. Firstly, government at all levels, religious institutions and the community needs to band together in propagating an anti-domestic violence campaign, emphasizing the fact that violence in the home serves as a breeding ground for violence in the society. Secondly, there should be an urgent need to begin regarding domestic violence from a psychological perspective rather than from the socio-cultural one. Thirdly, girls and women in general should be sensitized and educated to draw a line between love and abuse. They should be made to know that if your partner truly loves you, he wouldn’t abuse you. Fourthly, men and boys should also be sensitized and educated that it is never okay to hit a woman. They should be told that any form of violence against women and girls doesn’t improve your machismo, instead, it diminishes it. Fifth, due to lack of positive response from the authorities, victims no longer seek legal redress. Hence, existing laws on the violation of women rights should be solidified and implemented on perpetrators.

The power to change the social norms that justify domestic violence against women in our society lies in our hands. Never has commencing a social change been an easy process. However, no matter the reasons, domestic violence against women is an aberration in our society and must be treated as such. Our existing laws must prosecute and punish those who inflict psychological and physical pain on women and girls; while protecting the victims of such reprehensible acts.

• Nigeria