Zari Hassan opens up, says she is a victim of domestic violence

By Davis Muli | 3yrs ago | 2 min read

South Africa based Ugandan businesswoman Zari Hassan has disclosed that she was a victim of domestic violence in her previous marriage.

Sharing the ordeal on her Instagram account, the mother of five said she was physically abused and that it took a lot of courage for her to walk away.

In the lengthy post, Zari says that she struggled with self-doubt and whether she will be accepted if she dared end her marriage. The entrepreneur noted that she was advised to stay put and enjoy their wealth in the hope that things will eventually change.

“Most of the times I would be asked why I was leaving all the wealth behind yet other women were looking for it. I was called stupid. Yet they did not know what was happening behind the scenes. When will all this end, and what time would it be okay to say enough is enough? There is no perfect time, let me tell you, it all starts with you,” she added.

Zari highlighted that the reason victims do not speak out is that most are afraid of how they will be perceived while some hang on to protect their social statuses, especially if they are celebrities.

“It took a lot of courage to say enough is enough. Should I have waited, without saying a thing? We always fear, especially what people will say; 'Maybe they will judge me saying that I have brought this to myself or that we have such a good relationship. What will our families say about that? or I am a celebrity, it will bring shame to my name',” she wrote in part.

Urging women not to remain silent, Zari reiterated her call for an end to domestic violence saying there is no justification for battery.

“Every time you are silent about it thinking that it will end, it will not. There is no reason at all to be tortured whether you are good or bad. You do not have the right to hit a woman,” she wrote.