Africa women dey face highest risk of killing by family – UN

domestic violence

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Women and girls for Africa dey face di highest risk of killing by dia intimate partners or oda family members, more dan anywhere else for world, United Nations tok.

E mean say Africa get di highest level of violence against women, wen you compare am wit di size of di female population.

For 2021, intimate partners and oda family members kill around 45,000 women and girls for world.

Wen you break am down, dis mean say more dan five women and girls dey die every hour for di hands of dia own family members.

Na UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and UN Women, do collabo release dis report and dem say even as di number dey shocking, di true level of femicide – killing of women and girls – fit dey higher.

By absolute numbers, Africa get di second-highest cases of female intimate partner/family-related killings, at 17,200, Asia dey lead at 17,800. di Americas get 7,500 cases and 2,500 for Europe.

“Data on gender-related killings wey dem commit for public dey even more scarce, and dis make am difficult to create prevention policies for dis kain killings,” e tok.

Di UN dey call for authorities to make di protection mechanisms for women human rights defenders and women rights activists stronger.

“I call on goments and partners across di world to increase long-term funding and support to women rights organisations,” UN Women executive director Sima Bahous tok.

Di UN report dey come as di world dey celebrate 16 days of activism against gender-based violence wey dey start on Friday.

Di United Nations dey use dis days of activism to bring awareness to women on wetin to do to avoid abuse and also di signs to watch out for.

Dem also release safety tips.

Wetin be some common signs of abuse?  

Woman wey siddon for corner

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Your partner dey keep track of everything you do. Dem dey monitor wia you dey and who you dey wit at all times. Dem dey prevent or discourage you from seeing friends, family, or going to work or school.

Your partner dey insist make you reply right away to dia texts, emails, and calls, and demands to know your passwords to social media sites, email, and oda accounts. 

Abusive partner fit act jealous, including constantly dey accuse you of cheating. Dem fit attempt to control how you spend money and your use of medications or birth control. Dem fit dey make everyday decisions for you, like wetin you wear or eat. 

Dem fit no dey nice to you. Dem fit put you down as dem dey insult how you look, or wetin you like. Dem fit try to humiliate in front of oda pipo and attempt to destroy your property or things wey you care about.

Abusive partner fit act angry or get quick or unpredictable temper, so you no go sabi wetin fit cause a problem. Dem fit blame you for dia violent outbursts and physically harm or threaten harm to you, themselves, and members of your household, including children or pets. 

Dem fit hurt you physically, like hitting, beating, pushing, shoving, punching, slapping, kicking, or biting. Dem fit use, or threaten to use, a weapon against you. 

Dem fit sexually abuse you, including rape or oda forced sexual activity. Dem fit incorrectly assume say consent for a sex act in di past means say you must take part in di same acts in di future. Dem fit also incorrectly assume say consent for one activity mean consent for increased levels of intimacy. For example, abuser fit assume say one kiss fit lead to sex every time.

Abusive partner fit threaten to turn you in to authorities for illegal activity if you report di abuse, or if you resist am.

Safety tips if you dey experience abuse

If you think say pesin dey abuse you, di United Nations advise make you seek help and also use dis tips 

Consider to share your concerns wit a trusted friend, family member, or neighbor. Work wit dem to develop a plan for wen you go need help. Dis plan fit include, for instance, creating one secret code or multiple code words, sentences, or emojis wey fit help you communicate more safely wit dem.

Develop escape strategy, like tok say you wan go pharmacy or grocery store and as soon as you reach dia, ask t use di phone and call for help. 

If possible, keep one telephone always make e dey charged and accessible and sabi which numbers to call for help: a friend, a family member, or di police. If your life dey in danger, call di police if you believe say e dey safe to do so.

Try to identify patterns in your partner use and level of violence. Dis one fit help you to predict wen abuse fit escalate.