In solitary thought this fine morning, I kept wondering why my nation has accommodated abuses and brutal assaults from her ‘prodigal sons’ for so long. Why sit pretty and allow yourself to be constantly molested without resistance?
Then it struck me: the woeful tale of my nation is the same reality of many women: sickening & sad, yet society gets to ask the crazy question of ‘why’ from the victim.
The abused woman is expected to explain herself, while facts & figures are met with queries.
Systems of oppression say ‘’Let’s rationalise the oppressor’s bad behaviour’’, and ‘’Let’s make the victim explain tiny little details of her traumatising experience, while we puncture holes and make excuses for the abuser’’.
Hence the Needless, irritating and triggering queries posed to the victim such as “What did you do to provoke him“? When a woman has been physically or verbally abused.
When a woman has suffered rape or other forms of sexual assault, the questions are “What were you wearing’? “What were you doing there”? Why didn’t you scream”? “Why are you just coming out? The list of silly questions is endless.
Meanwhile, the odious abuser walks about majestically with the mindset of a tin god, for whose feeble feet the world of others is a footstool.
Tyrannical ‘leaders’, Lawless lawmakers, unjust justice system, inhumane institutions… and the list goes on. It is high time we channelled an appropriate measure of anger as citizens!
Systems of oppression must be dismantled; Inequalities that dehumanise us must be shattered.
To do this, we are all responsible- our language must change, our mindset must be reevaluated, and we must make intentional socio-cultural and systemic shifts with a much-required sense of urgency.
Often, we are too laid back, and it hurts. While it seems easy to take solace in a ‘familiar’ relationship with an abusive society, it is also important to realise that in no time, one may have nothing but rubbles for roof when legacies become nothing but pages in history books.
For now, it is an adjustable reality. But the question is: how hard are we willing to fight for a system that values us; institutions that respect us & leaders that SEE us?
While at it, you should also in fact put yourself on a sincere reality check. Ask yourself: how many times have you contributed to strengthening these systems of oppression? How have you enabled tyranny by condoning myopic biases, prejudices, stereotypes and dehumanising systems because of your blinding privilege?
If you have not, congratulations!
If you have, I challenge you to urgently turn over a new leaf.