Dear Editor,
When God created the earth and made man, for him not to be lonely, He gave him a helpmate, which is the woman. He created her beautiful, and lovely for the man to love her, not to abuse her. When God had finished all his work of creation, He beheld the work of His hands, and declared that it is good. So, God didn’t have a problem for the man to have a woman.
The man was to protect the woman as the weaker sex. But today we are living in a time when something seems to have gone wrong with the way in which quite a number of men out there consider the women, who instead have now become the subject of abuse, either from their husbands or lovers. Domestic violence is causing many women nowadays to be beaten, murdered, and even raped, while divorce and separation rates are also running high.
Many fathers or husbands are abandoning their care and responsibility for their families, and leaving their wives behind to raise the children on their own. This is another reason why we have so many single mothers today, and the number seems to be growing.
It was a known fact that the statistics of domestic violence, or women abuse, was at its highest during the lockdown period of COVID-19. It is quite obvious that many women now would be scared to death should any future lockdowns from another worldwide pandemic occur. The fear of being locked down and locked in with their abusive sick husband or lovers would be greater than the fear of the pandemic itself.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was held on November 25. The hope is to find a solution to this problem. But a solution to this problem may not be easy, because we are now dealing with a different generation, of men whose attitude or tolerance towards the woman has changed.
Dear editor, in the days gone by, most marriages use to last until death do depart. Reports of femicide and reports of abused women were at a low level. Institutions like Safe Havens for battered or abused women were hardly not needed. Families were more together, and fathers, as good role-models, would spend more time with their children , and set the good example for their sons as to how to treat and love their future wives.
The big question is: why are men releasing their frustration or hatred against the woman? Why are domestic violence and femicide increasing?
The solution to this world-wide problem may be sought from various angles. But in conclusion let me just quote some scriptures from the Bible. In the Bible from chapter five of the book of Ephesians, verse 25 says: “Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church.” And in verse 28 it says: “So aught men to love their wives as their own bodies, He that loved his wife love himself.” And in verse 33 God repeats again: “Nevertheless, let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself.”
I believe these biblical verses speak clearly for themselves to every man, husband or father out there.
Over the years the world has changed. We are living today in a time where violence is all around us, where boys are raised up in homes without a father to set the good example as role-models, and where many young boys are seeing their fathers abuse, beat, and even kill their mothers, and last but not least, many youngsters are growing up in homes where they were never taught the word of God.
I believe that domestic violence is a problem that we will have to deal with for yet a long time to come. Meanwhile, the outcry of abused women will continue to be among us.
Name withheld upon request.
A concerned citizen
