Although it is rarely a subject of discussion among their peers and in society, men are not immune to gender-based violence as this social problem is also affecting them physically, emotionally and sexually.
Such is the case of Noah Rusike from Epworth who spent a decade suffering at the hands of an abusive wife.
Rusike eventually lost all his property and is now visually impaired after his wife struck him with a slasher on the eye.
“When I married my second wife after my first marriage had collapsed, I never thought I was going to live in hell. My wife used to ill-treat me and the kids from my first marriage. I never experienced peace in the 10 years we lived together. One day we had an altercation and she struck me with a slasher damaging my left eye permanently. When we divorced she literally stripped me of everything and I had to start all over again. I spoke to no one about the abuse as I was ashamed,” said Rusike.
His current wife, Treda Chadzukwa narrated that the abuse he went through has also had a psychological effect.
“Whenever he recalls what happened to him he suffers psychologically and some time back he was found trying to commit suicide,” said Chadzukwa.
Counselor and Life coach Dr. Patience Itai Hove highlighted that due to fear of stigmatisation men often find it difficult to seek assistance.
“Men are not willing to seek help for fear of societal constructs which view men as strong and masculine and therefore not vulnerable to abuse by women. Men are suffering in silence which results in some losing self-esteem while others end up committing suicide,” Dr. Hove said.
Marriage counselor, Pastor Gwendoline Kanokanga says such revelations are a wakeup call for survivors of gender-based violence to get the necessary support before it is too late.
As the world commemorates the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence focus should also be on men as much as it on their female counterparts amid revelations that a number of males are suffering in silence.
