Violenceagainst Women:TheOther Side
TALK about violence against women, is ripest at this time of our world history. Today humanity has made leaps and bounds in technology, so rapid that many facets of life cannot even cope with the speed of its advancement. But, this era which boasts of technical progress can only relate, write about, and show the world how women are still abused despite all technological knowledge money can buy. However, the present time cannot stop this despite the progress mankind has achieved.
The abuse against women is endless and continues to go on and on all over the world. The most horrifying of course is the physical violence that many women experience. Charge this to being the weaker sex, perhaps weaker in body therefore weaker in physical defense. There is, on the other hand, another side of this abuse, another form of violence that does not shout out loud, nor can it be seen by merely looking at women from the outside. It is a quiet kind of violence that plagues many if not most women from all cultures.
This is the psychological violence that includes mental, emotional and even financial abuse. A woman is violated when her dignity is tarnished by the infidelity of a partner. The physical fights that come about when the wrong is discovered , are not even one half in severity compared to the an- guish of a woman, especially a mother, who finds that the person she and her children rely on for life and emotional sustenance carries on with another or with others. The torture she feels is likened to an invisible scourge that hacks at her back each minute she’s awake and every moment that she sleeps. This is the emotional violence that comes from very deep pains caused by the plunder of her spirit and her womanhood.
The more horrifying are the constant lies engendered and repeated to hide the erring partner’s crime. Why some partners go on hiding and denying their unfaithfulness makes the crime even worse. The poor victim gets confused about her situation, cannot concentrate on the upbringing of the children or the upkeep of the home. To add, because there is another party to maintain, finances for the house and for people formerly assisted gets tinier until almost depleted. The unfaithful one spends the money on his third party and neglects the needs of the family or the real partner. This financial abuse continues as the cheater hides the real score about financial matters to the wife or the long time partner. Not to give the finances needed to his family even when he is capable of doing so is still part of this violence. Yet, many do not see these as they are. These actions are mainly shrugged off as poor character development in the erring partner. Perhaps it should be called the lack of character instead.
Other psychological abuses are promises and pledges not complied with.
People should never make promises they cannot keep. It’s serious enough to make a promise and a pledge, but it becomes worst when these are not fulfilled. There are so many instances when a person gets emotionally and mentally hurt but these pains are not considered serious enough to merit much attention. Yet, these are the pains and hurts that kill, right away, if not slowly through each day of living in torment.
We humans are a funny and disturbing lot. We are capable of so much good, yet, we are also capable of doing so much evil. In the midst of humanity lies so much good, yet there in the midst of all can also be found evil in its darkest form. The physical killings of females, young and old are not the only frightening episodes in a woman’s life. Worst are the psychological bombardments, the repetitive acts of treacheryand connivancewithanother against her body, her soul, her spirit, her dignity, her integrity, her mind. When will these ever stop? Baguio, the ball is in your court!