H-Metro
LAST week, we carried a sad story about a family man who is living in fear of his abusive wife.
He claimed his wife was in the habit of giving him a hiding each time they had a misunderstanding.
He bared his soul at the Harare Civil Court where a protection order was granted in his favour.
So dire was the situation that he had no option but to seek legal recourse.
He took the legal route, after consultations, to save himself from humiliation and abuse in front of his children and neighbours.
This was after years of enduring physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his wife.
To his close friends, the man might have appeared a coward for complaining against physical abuse at the hands of his wife.
However, the level-headed will always salute him for doing the noble thing by consulting legal experts.
Now that he has been granted a protection order, the man can now afford to live a normal life.
His mind is now clear and confidence restored after years of abuse.
His case serves as a reminder that there are also other family men, who are suffering in silence, at the hands of their spouses.
Some of these victims have now developed serious health challenges as well as depression and low esteem.
The way some of these men are carrying themselves in public is also a clear testimony of what they endure at home.
Symptoms of this kind of abuse range from poor performance at work, general lack of confidence and poor judgment in most cases.
While men are known to be perpetrators of Gender Based Violence (GBV) in most cases, it should be noted that there are some abusive women who have turned their spouses into punching bags.
Last week’s case was just a reminder that men are also at the receiving end yet hide it for years.
A problem hidden will always come back to haunt the victims.
While dialogue is the way forward, to avoid such cases, the legal route has proved to be the main solution when the situation gets out of hand.
For a start, the couple should always prioritise dialogue before they lose their senses.
Counselling with the professionals or elders should also be prioritised.
In the worst scenarios, quitting such toxic affairs should be another solution, especially when partners don’t repent.
A peaceful mind is better than torture at the hands of someone who should provide comfort.
As we campaign against GBV, it should be noted that men are suffering too.
The only challenge with men is that they conceal their problems for ages for fear of the unknown.
It’s high time men come out in the open and expose the abuse they suffer at the hands of their spouses.
Men are suffering in silence but it’s never too late to report such cases.
