Financial dependency traps women in abuse

Financial dependence, power imbalances and harmful social attitudes were highlighted as key drivers of gender-based violence (GBV) at a workshop in Windhoek yesterday.

Speaking at the workshop, anti-HIV/GBV advocate Tuwilika Elias, who is also a public policy analyst, said many women are trapped in violent homes because they lack the means to leave.

“If a woman does not work and depends on a man, it is often difficult for her to leave because she fears she will have no one to take care of her,” she said.

Elias said anger and alcohol abuse are often viewed as the causes of GBV, but noted that they only trigger violence and are not the root causes thereof.

“The root cause of GBV is the misuse of power and control,” she said.

She said common myths about GBV include the misconception that it only occurs in poor communities and that women are raped because of the way they dress.

“GBV can occur either at Katutura or Suidherhof. It is not confined to poor communities but occurs in all economic settings,” she said.

Ismael Ashipala from the 4X4 Initiative said rape is never about clothing or provocation, but about one’s ability to control oneself.

He said men should not allow their emotions to dictate their behaviour.

“Why do women not do these things? They have self-control. Get that in your mind to make better choices,” he said.

Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) youth desk coordinator Yolanda Sabatta at the event urged men to take responsibility for their actions, challenging the tendency to blame victims of sexual violence.

She asked why conversations about GBV often only focus on the victims rather than perpetrators.

“Why do we constantly have to construct what she was wearing, where she was going and what she was doing out at night?”

Sabatta emphasised the need for men to exercise self-control and reject harmful attitudes that normalise violence against women.

“Let’s talk to our minds and desensitise our minds to know that you are in control of your feelings,” she urged.

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