GBV survivors’ hardship
Sir,
Intimidating is to frighten or threaten someone, usually in order to persuade them to do something that you want them to do. A lot of emaSwati, especially women, are intimidated in their families, love relationships and in their marriages. Being a woman in Eswatini is indeed a heavy burden to bear. It is sad because most of them do not know who to trust to share what they are facing. It is not easy to report an abusive partner or relative who will push you to do something you are not willing to do, than reporting a person you do not know.
Report
Most people reach out to help organisations or the police to report their situation under the advice of the people they end up sharing their stories with. What holds them back is that they do not know who to trust to share their stories with or how they can really be assisted. So this results in them being abused physically or emotionally for many years, as one does not really have to physically beat you to kill your spirit.
Issue
Gender-based violence (GBV) is a very serious issue and everyone knows that, but what I want to focus on is about the people who are or can be there when someone who is being abused wants to confide in them. We have been encouraging people that when you are abused, you should tell someone you trust so you can get help, but how about these people, are they to be trusted?
As people, either at home, school or at work we must be approachable. Be a person who anyone can talk to about anything. The abused individuals should not think twice about telling you their situation. For example, maybe a girl child is being abused by her uncle or stepfather; she should not hesitate to tell her mother about the abuse.
Communication
So mothers and guardians, build strong communication channels with your children so that if ever something of that sort happens, he or she can confide in you and you can deal with the situation accordingly. Your child should not be afraid to tell you anything. Help starts by sharing your story with a person you trust. Keeping it within yourself will not set GBV victims free.