As we navigate through the shadows, it becomes evident that understanding the nuances of abuse is crucial in crafting effective solutions
By Suzanne Ihuoma
In 2020, the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) published data revealing a staggering reality that indicated that 81,000 women and girls lost their lives globally.
Among them, 58% -47,000 individuals met their demise at the hands of an intimate partner or a family member, translating to a woman or girl being fatally harmed every 11 minutes within the confines of their own homes.
While intersection feminist scholars widely agree on the exacerbation of gender inequality by overlapping systems of oppression, numerous studies have overlooked the pivotal role of disability as a crucial social category influencing violence and femicide among women with disabilities.
In social justice literature in Nigeria, femicide occupies a relatively silent space, an oversight largely attributed to the pervasive patriarchal structures governing sociocultural relationships. This essay aims to shed light on the scarcity of discourse surrounding femicide, particularly concerning women with disabilities , who often find themselves marginalized even within existing discussions. The pervasive violence against these women has,regrettably, acted as a catalyst for femicide within the disability community in Nigeria, a phenomenon deserving urgent attention.
Femicide defined as intentionally killing women based on gender has reached epidemic proportions across Nigeria, one in three women globally (736 millon)have been subjected to physical and/or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime since the age of 15 according to UN WOMEN.
In the intricate web of gender based violence(GBV), the silent but devastating threads of emotional and economic abuse often go unnoticed.This investigative piece delves into the sinister connection between these abuses and the alarming rise in femicide.
As we navigate through the shadows, it becomes evident that understanding the nuances of abuse is crucial in crafting effective solutions.
Emotional abuse, a subtle poison, pushes women to the brink of despair, with suicide becoming an alarming consequence. Simultaneously, economic dependence abuse tightens its grip, making escape insurmountable. Unveiling the layers which includes education and access to information for women with disabilities in accessible formats especially for those at the rural areas. This piece seeks to expose the harrowing realities faced by women, particularly those with disabilities,who find themselves at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities.
Through the in-depth and real time case studies , it emerges that women with disabilities are disproportionately affected. Their stories echo a stark truth- education acts as a potent shield against abuse. Those who have managed to break free from the shackles of emotional and economic abuse attribute their resilience to education,empowerment and skill acquisition.
For the first few months of marriage,things were rosy and the mutual affection was enviable and Assumpta wished it will last forever but that was not to be.
A sober looking 43 year old Assumpta Khalil, a right hand amputee narrated her near death ordeal with her ex husband, Timothy, who not only battered her physically but assaulted her severally.
Khalil’s right hand was amputated following a ghastly car accident in 2000.
She met and married her ex husband a few years after she acquired the disability and they were married for two years before she absconded her home in a bid to stay alive.
Despite being pregnant at the time, she was constantly subjected to beating and verbal abuse by her ex-husband. “When I have disagreement or arguments with my husband at different times,it would result in him beating me and calling me names like, ‘incomplete woman and imbecile’. He went further to say that he doesn’t know why he is married to me”,Khalil said.“Whenever I tried to ask why he was acting that way, it would result in severe beating that I had to beg him to spare my life almost on a daily basis”.
I am happy I left because if I didn’t, I won’t be alive to narrate my ordeal because obviously I would have been dead”.
Meet 44 year old Funmilayo Mobolaji, who sustained a spinal cord injury due to a car accident in Lagos on March 29,2005. Since then, she moves around with the aid of her wheelchair.
The anguish of her new status pales in comparison to the harrowing ordeal she endured with her former partner. He would label her a prostitute whenever other men admired her on social media. The emotional and verbal abuse took a toll, leading her to end the relationship.
In her perspective, women with disabilities often face perceptions of weakness and worthlessness, heightening the risk of violence.
Mobolaji: “I was verbally abused to the point where I felt worthless in life.When I spoke up, he criticized my lack of submission,questioning who would marry someone like me.”
Mobolaji recounted instances of sexual harassment outside her home. Where men indecently touched her despite her disability. She expressed frustration,saying “Men ask inappropriate questions about my sex life, offering unwanted assistance”. The journey of Assumpta and Mobolaji from victim to survivor serves as a beacon of hope.
Contrastingly,the tales of those ensnared in abuse paint a bleak picture of despair. The subtle torment of emotional abuse and the economic chains that bind them expose the urgent need for systemic, intervention.
This report calls on society to acknowledge the silent cries of those trapped in abusive relationships. It urges institutions to be accountable for fostering environments that perpetuate gender based violence.
The call to action is not just a societal responsibility but a moral imperative to dismantle the structures enabling these abuses.
The narratives above suggests that empowering women through education and skill development is paramount and a catalyst to change.
Moving forward, accessible education for women with disabilities, awareness campaigns and legal reforms to protect the vulnerable is non negotiable.
In the intricate dance of abuse and empowerment,education emerges as the transformative force that can break the chains of emotional and economic dependence. The call is clear, a society that values and invests in the education of all women is a society that stands against the shadows of femicide. The closing plea is not just for change but for a collective commitment to creating a world where every woman, regardless of ability, can script her own narrative of strength and resilience.
The support structures to activate the choices may be what we would battle with for social justice to take its course. There is the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP), and the Child Rights Act. These laws recognize the existence of a protection order. So, people don’t have to wait for criminal processes or suits to be filed against perpetrators.
Anything that takes away from the dignity of any group of human beings under the guise of culture is a harmful traditional practice. Luckily for us, the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act has made room for the abolition of harmful traditional practices.
(This report is for the GENDER ACCOUNTABILITY AND INCLUSIVITY IN NIGERIA project for Gender Strategy Advancement International(GSAI) supported by the OPEN SOCIETY INITIATIVE FOR WEST AFRICA.)
*Susan Ihuoma is an
Inclusive Governance Advocate.