Shameless men who beat women in abusive marriages

Shameless men who beat women in abusive marriages do not merit to be called men becuase real men do not beat woem but rather seek their welbeing at all times. No man or woman gets married to his or her enemy yet, many marriages have turned into avenues in which women are more often at the receiving end of abuses compared to men. In recent times, stories about men who abuse their wives have taken centre stage in the media.

The sad story of Madam Abiba as reported by Joy News in a video circulating on social media is the reality in many homes that have gone unnoticed. One cannot understand why a man will beat the hell out of the woman he married and loves. Abiba from her interview revealed that she has gone through abuse for so long in her polygamous home and that she will not let this go unpunished.

Old fashioned and uncultured as it may be, there are men today who continue to take the laws into their own hands with impunity and beat the hell out of their wives or partners. Many young ladies in relationships are suffering all forms of abuses in silence today.

Ghanaian women who are in relationships, marriages, dating including cohabitation are abused on a daily basis. Slapping, kicking, all manner of mediaeval acts and abuses are suffered by women and girls.

 Many factors including alcohol intake have been identified as major contributors to the menace however, this assertion cannot always hold. Many more who are not on drugs abuse their spouse.

Apart from the above, other factors also trigger the incidence of abuse in Ghana. They include financial dependence, “Disobedience”, Denial of sexual/conjugal rights, discipline of children, Male Promiscuity, Female accused of having extra-marital Affairs, Conflicts related to Polygamy, Payment of Bride Price and concept of ownership of the wife. In all these, men cannot run away from the reality that, they have no moral rights to abuse their wives.

To think that, educated men and persons in high offices and positions do not abuse their partners especially their wives is to be ill-informed yourself. For an educated or an illiterate woman to believe that her husband has the right to beat her in itself is sad because this belief does not hold water in the face of common sense which is available to both educated and illiterate people.

Globally it is estimated that, 35% of females experience one or more of physical and or sexual violence. Research has proven that, 60 out of every 100 Ghanaian women hold the view that, if their husbands beat them, there is nothing wrong with it.

The United Nations data base on violence against women has shown that, 24% of women in Ghana suffer lifetime physical and or sexual abuse from their partners. Another 4% suffer other forms of abuse. Sadly, the girl child is not left out in this pathetic situation because up to 21% of girls suffer abuse and infringement on their tights through child marriage. Another 4% of Ghanaian women suffer female genital mutilation.

According to the Domestic Violence in Ghana study conducted in 2016 by the UN and funded UK aid from the UK government

“Domestic violence is a violation of basic human rights and a global policy concern” The most common form of domestic violence reported by women in the 12 months prior to the survey was economic violence (12.8 per cent), followed by social violence (11.6 per cent), psychological violence (9.3 per cent), physical violence (6.0 per cent) and sexual violence (2.5 per cent).

Abuse in marriage is one thing no right thinking member of society can pretend is not happening in Ghana. 38.7 % Women between the ages of 15 and 49 who have been married before or are still in such marriages have been abused before by their spouses according to a 2008 research by Demographic and Health Survey.

All NGOs into human rights issues, women, girls and children’ rights issues must begin to intensify their campaigns and programs to ensure the voice of those abused are head and seek for justices for such persons. Government and government agencies such as the police, NCCE, and the like must also need to up their game.

It is because of such barbaric and inhuman acts and violence perpetrated against women, girls and children that a new crop of journalist, freelancers, lawyers, and other persons with the issues of women, girls and children at heart have given birth to the Human Rights Reporters Ghana, an NGO that aims at championing the fight against all forms of abuse.

This organization will take Ghana by storm and become one of the important mouth piece and advocate for the vulnerable in our society. This they have begun already in silence. Watch out for the Human Rights Reporters Ghana.