End the culture of violence against women

Saturday last week marked this year’s commencement of the ‘16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence’. This is an international campaign that targets to end all forms of violence against girls and women. Every year, the campaign runs between November 25 and December 10.

Violence against women, more prevalent in Africa, manifests itself in many ways. The most common forms we know include spousal abuse in marriages, rape (in and outside) marriage, domestic violence, sexual trafficking, economic emancipation, forced female genital mutilation through the observance of outdated customs and more recently, political violence.

Not only have women become victims of political instability, cases have arisen where rogue police officers have been captured on camera beating defenceless women caught up in a commotion they knew nothing about. In Nairobi recently, an Mpesa agent was attacked in her premises and subjected to rape in the midst of a riot.

Clearly, such despicable acts deny women their dignity while robbing them of humanity. Men, as the main players in perpetrating violence against women, must take a vanguard role in ensuring that the culture of violence against women, while being tolerated by some cultural beliefs, comes to an end.

In offices, in academia and elsewhere, women have proven themselves equal to, if not actually better than men, and must be given the respect they deserve. The girl child today enjoys the much-needed protection as a result of spirited campaigns.

The campaign against gender violence must be a continuous process, not limited to the annual 16 days of activism, until positive results are realised.