It’s time to end the series of male violence against women and stop blaming the victims. Everyone has a role to play in ending violence against women whether at home or in public and we all need to step up and do our part.
Abuse of women and girls is one of the most common violations of human rights in the world. It increases every day, happens again and again in every corner of the world.
It is a hidden global crisis with no geographical or traditional limits. But disadvantaged women, such as poor women and girls, are more likely to experience it often because of their husbands or partners. Violence against women does not just mean physical violence. It is much broader, encompassing sexual, emotional, psychological, and financial abuse. It comes from gender inequality and disrespectful and sexist beliefs and attitudes toward women and girls. These include the beliefs that women and girls aren’t as good as men and boys, and don’t deserve the same opportunities or treatment as men and boys should or shouldn’t do particular things, just because they’re women and girls.
Abuse affects every area of a woman’s life and she will be forever changed in some way. Because of this, it is direly needed to focus on assessing the effects of abuse from every angle and to find solutions and resources to help women rebuild in all the ways their abuse affected them.
Millions of women and girls face deep-seated inequality and violence every single day. The impact of violence ranges from immediate to long-term consequences for the physical, sexual and mental health of women and girls, including death. It negatively affects the general health of women and prevents them from fully participating in society.
The solution is that we must orient the prevention of violence against women and girls, focusing on changing attitudes and behaviors to manage this violence and discontent. There must be gender equality.
We are bound together by the terrible anger and sadness, and the lingering fear that we carry around every day for ourselves and each other. We need a world free of male violence against women and girls, and to get there, we need to tackle discrimination and inequality wherever we are.
It’s time to end the series of male violence against women and stop blaming the victims. Everyone has a role to play in ending violence against women whether at home or in public and we all need to step up and do our part. By changing public attitudes and challenging everyday stigma and sexism, we can all help make society a safer place for women and girls. All women and girls deserve to feel safe, protected and respected.
Nashrah Maheen
Student of BS English at Benazir Bhutto University Nawabshah
