Raising daughter is a terrifying feat

Sir,

The state of today’s Eswatini makes me cringe and deeply terrifies me, not just for me personally but for my family and friends as well.

These days, gender-based violence (GBV) is so commonplace that it is really anyone’s guess when, where and how the next form of terror will manifest itself.

When I switch to the news on TV and I get lucky, I will most probably run into a feel good news story but, unfortunately, that story will not last longer than 120 seconds. After that I will be bombarded by news that raises my blood pressure to unhealthy levels.

Afraid

GBV is ensuring that no matter what we do, women are always afraid. What used to be daily or routine tasks have now modified into headaches because one cannot be sure if there are men in the country planning some bad things. In this regard, the kingdom has hardly been spared in the merciless killing of innocent souls.

This violence has made it difficult for women to feel free anywhere and even in their places of abode. Their places of safety have been turned into war zones.

In many parts of this beautiful country, raising a daughter is a deeply terrifying feat since you never know if she too will become a victim of savage men who will abuse and kill her in the middle of the night.

Our western counterparts also face grave challenges in living out their lives. Coffee with friends can easily lead to a woman being violated later as a result of a minor misunderstanding. No place or time is off limits for these maniacs.

Disaster

Any attempt to take your mind off this crazy world and go to a nightclub can easily turn to disaster when a nut case enters the vicinity and goes after the woman he claims he loves.

This issue is stressing me out so much and at this rate, it is even scarier to imagine what type of country future generations will live in.

Allow me to take this opportunity to send my condolences to all the families and friends of victims of various forms of evil across the country.

Christian