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I never knew it will get to this point when the safety of the female gender would become endangered.
I never knew we wouldn’t feel secure sleeping at night.
I never knew walking during the day was going to be harmful.
I never knew having a male friend was going to cause us pain.
I never knew that family isn’t who people think he is.
I never knew a father could be so wicked to defile his own blood.
I never knew our brothers don’t care about our welfare.
I never knew our clergymen would use “anointing” to deceive us.
I never knew the police wouldn’t protect us.
What exactly is our offence?
Who exactly did we offend?
No age is left out of this brutality that is being inflicted on us.
They say it’s our way of dressing that arouses them, but I ask what about the child in diaper? What about the lady in hijab? What about the sister in long skirts? What about the sister whose dressing isn’t even near seductive?
Why are you causing so much pain to the gender who, amidst excruciating pains, brought you forth to the world? Is that the compensation for nurturing and feeding you?
Why do you use the organ that is meant to bring forth lives to destroy lives? Why do we have to pay for your inability to control your sexual urge?
Sex wasn’t designed to inflict pain on anybody. Sex was designed to be enjoyed by both parties.
Why can’t you respect our consent on sex? Why can’t you respect our NO? Even if she’s a sex-worker, and her NO must be unquestionably respected.
Why should you end a life even after you have satisfied yourself? Why not leave us to pick up ourselves back?
Even after you have raped us, you still go ahead to make jest of us, you even go ahead to celebrate the fact that you have “gone down” with us. You ridicule us and stigmatise us.
Most of you can’t even stand it when we tell you our pasts about it. You end up whatever relationship you have with us, and end up blaming us for the actions of what your “colleagues” did.
Do not blame us for your inability to control your sexual urges.
Do not blame us for your inability to think with your brains, rather with your penis.
Do not end the lives that brought you forth to the world.
Do not end the lives of mothers, mother’s-to be, wives, sisters, daughters.
Do not leave the boy child to destruction; train and teach that boy child how to respect the female gender. Start from teaching him how to respect you, his mother, then to his siblings, nanny, classmates and every female he comes across. With respect comes love.
Do not allow your female child, get close to an older male gender. When that happens, find out the reasons behind it. Caution those who call those little children “their wives”.
Do not send that girl to go deliver message to that uncle in his room. Do not allow that passenger lap your daughter. When “she” says she’s not going to that man’s house, respect her decision and find out WHY.
These and many more are the channels used to RAPE.
We deserve Love.
We deserve Respect.
We deserve to be Protected.
We deserve to be Honoured.
Olomola Ayotola Oluwaseyi.
2020.
