A media practitioner, Mrs Onyinye Ude, has advised victims of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to speak up against any abuse meted against them.
Ude, who gave the advice in an interview with The Tide’s source in Enugu on Wednesday, said victims of gender-based and domestic violence were most times not willing to report their ordeals to the appropriate authorities, as many of them had accepted the violence as a norm.
She lamented that religion and culture had further discouraged and prevented victims of gender violence from taking actions as such attitude emboldened the abusers to continue the act.
“I discovered that women and children are short-changed in decision-making, especially in our traditional institution, dominated by male gender.
“If you listen to radio and go to social media, you will see the kind of abuse that people are going through. Gender abuse and sexual abuse because you cannot do anything”, Ude said.
According to her, a lot of people are even scared
“Who do I tell, because when you say you are, the next thing is that you are the cause.
“When you are abused, what are you supposed to do? Are you supposed to die in silence? Is it important to speak out?
“And when you want to speak out, where and who do you tell what you are going through?
“When you see a victim, are you supposed to blame the victim or to love that victim and help that victim out?” she asked.
She, however, urged everyone to support victims of gender- based violence, saying “There is abuse everywhere. Speak out, share the experience and support the victims of gender-based violence.
“Our slogan is ‘say no to gender-based violence, support the victims’”.
She, therefore, urged those in abusive and life-threatening marriage to walk away from the union, to avoid losing their lives.