A domestic violence survivor, Mrs Louisa Eikhomun has described her marriage with the ex-husband as “hell on earth”
She said, she was battered, molested, abused, but kept quiet because she thought the marriage could be salvaged. But at a point, she realized that keeping quiet may be tragic.
Speaking to Journalists at the NUJ Press Centre, in Benin City, the Edo State Capital at a rally organized by Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issue, titled “16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence”, she said. “My marriage was hell on earth, I was battered, molested, abused, I first kept quiet, thinking that the marriage could be salvaged, but when it became obvious that I can’t cope again, I went to my family, but there was no help, I went to my ex-husband’s family, no help came.
“Then I have to cry out, and I am encouraging everybody going through domestic violence to speak out so that they can get help, I also plead with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to help those going through domestic violence. It is because I want to help others in the same problem that I have documented my experiences in a book. ” She concluded.
Earlier in her address, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Social Development and Gender Issues, Pastor Mrs Dorcas Idehen said the rally was to tell the public that gender based violence has become a pandemic that needs to be tackled. Women are on daily basis raped, kidnapped and killed.
She said that even babies are raped by their fathers when they have their wives at home. Edo State must be free from gender-based violence. We must stop molesting our female children.
“We are here to tell the public that gender based violence has become a pandemic that needs to be tackled. Women are on daily basis raped, kidnapped and killed.
“Today, babies are raped by their fathers even when they have their wives at home. Edo State must be free from gender-based violence. We must stop molesting our women and female children.”
Reacting, the Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Journalists Edo State Council, Comrade Titus Akhigbe, said the Union had always frowned at gender-based- violence, concluding that it is a crime that should not be tolerated.
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