I love you?

"Right from the beginning I knew that something was wrong, but my intuition was silenced by the hunger for love I had. Later in our relationship I realized clearly that I was suffering but I wasn’t able to identify the source. It was standing next to me and I was calling it love. Being in the relationship was like being locked in a prison, being tied up and unable to speak"


Image result for domestic violenceIn the United States, more than 10 million people suffer from domestic violence at the hands of a romantic partner each year. 
In Malta, 1,378 cases of domestic violence were reported in 2017.  While women are not the only victims, they do cover a larger percentage, with only 23 percent of the victims being male. 

Women reported to having endured both emotional and physical violence, sometimes even targeting their children.  In a report featuring victim stories from Australia, women reported feeling threatened and uncomfortable in their own home.  “I could not see a way out”, “I wanted love so much that I denied all signs from the beginning”, “He said that if I divorced him he would kill me and my parents”, stated some women.  

Domestic violence is also linked to health problems.  Some long-term effects include heart problems and chronic pain, as well as mental health problems, including those related to physical appearance, such as anorexia and bulimia.  There is also more chance of the woman resorting to drug or alcohol use to cope with the pain. 

It is important that anyone who feels as though they are being abused, be it physically or emotionally, reaches out for help.  You are not alone.  In Malta, one can call the support line 179, who are always ready to help, and can access the website for more information. 

In addition to this, the Marcy Foundation was recently launched by a person who saw his mother suffer through multiple abusive relationships.  This foundation is also there to support anyone who needs it, and to create more awareness on the topic of domestic violence.  



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Feminists (Don't) Wear Pink

Image
Nowadays, in our culture, certain things are taken for granted.   Women can drive.   Women can work.   Women can vote.   This hasn’t always been so.   In fact, the first time that women voted in an election was merely 100 years ago , precisely on the 14th of December, 1918.   This voting was open to all women who were over the age of 30 and who either owned or had a husband who owned property.  The option to vote was embraced by the female population.   In a report dated 16 th December 1918,   a female correspondent said the following:  The interest of the women voters seemed to be without distinction of class or age. One saw some old grandmother tottering along beside her daughter and granddaughter, as determined and quite as calm as they in facing this new and still almost incredible experience. What most impressed the visitor to many polling-booths was the businesslike way in which most of the women went about their task. It was quite evident that they had made up their min
Read more

An Introduction to Gender Matters

Image
Hello, I'm Micaela, an 18-year-old university student, and I'd like to welcome you to my blog.   I greatly believe in equality, and in the idea that females are just as capable as males.  I hope to create more awareness on some injustices that women face, but also to applaud women on their successes.   Due to this, I've decided to explore the topic of women, and I'll be tackling the ups and downs that women deal with.  Some topics that I plan on discussing are the gender pay gap and domestic violence, as well as some successes that both national and international women accomplish.   Stay tuned for next week, where I'll write about domestic violence awareness.   - Micaela 
Read more