Group explains why wives attack husbands in Kano

Group of concerned citizens of Kano state comprising members of professional groups, Human rights activists, civil society organizations have attributed the current trend of violent attacks on men by their wives in the state to in-built anger endured from years of domestic violence women have been subjected to.

This followed series of tragic incidences in which several men have been hospitalized for injuries they sustained from the attacks by their wives.

About five cases have been recorded in the last three weeks and most of the cases were related either to mobile phone conversation with suspected lovers or outright decisions to take second wives by the affected persons.

In some of the similar attacks some of the men victims have lost their lives thus putting fears in the heart of many about women folks in the state.

Concerned by some of these narratives, a panel discussion on violence against women and media trial was organized by the state chapter of Reproductive Health and Rights Advocacy Initiative (Reheard) over the weekend to ex-ray issues surrounding women violent behaviours in recent times.

Some of the speakers at the event traced the root of the problem to breakdown in family institution and lack of moral support by the parents towards the children they had married out.

Panelists also accused the media practitioners of being bias and one-sided in their coverage, saying “they usually focus on man’s account, ignoring the woman’s side of the story.

They however, expressed dismay over extreme reaction of by the women in the face of domestic violence.

The group urged women to always break the silence when subjected to any form of abuse.

It further encouraged parents to always keep track of happenings in their children’s marriages, saying doing that could help in identifying the issues for possible solution before it blossom into a grievous problem.

One of the panelists, Hajiya Usaina Aliyu Ibrahim said “Domestic violence is getting higher because even the marriages are not according to ethics, the law and the culture. Parents don’t involve in the lives of their married children, they think that their only responsibility is with those who are at home not those that they married off. I believe they don’t follow up into the marriages of their own children. When parents follow up their children they will see when there is problem in the house and they can address the problem instead of allowing it to get out of hand.

“My advice for women is that they should not remain silent. Don’t remain silent, break the silence whenever husband raises hand against you, don’t condone it but I am not saying you should retaliate no, retaliation is never legal. What you should do is report to your parents and if they refuse to take action then report to the police” she added.

One of the organizers of the discussion Ibra Tahir Gelale posits that “Men have been abusing women for long and when they report at home no action is taken, even in the society they will just ask them to be quite, that’s the main reason why women become violent. There is no food, no shelter, all the responsibilities are now on women, men are marrying without catering for the wife and the children that is why women are now violent. You cannot marry the second wife while I am not satisfied, you need to satisfy your home before you can marry another wife.”