Violence Against Women
Source: New Era
THE law of diminishing returns is a theoretical concept that during my years of study changed my whole outlook and perspective on life. In actual fact, this term has helped to make things that could have been very complicated very simple and clear to me.With the persistent increase in crime, particularly the rape and murder of innocent women, this concept and that of the law of attraction has perpetually been on my mind.
In simple terms the law of diminishing returns, which is one of the most fundamental laws of economics, states that in all productive processes, adding more and more of one particular input, while holding all other inputs constant, will lead to a situation where the output per additional unit of the particular input will eventually decline. This implies the adding of the same particular input to the process reduces overall yield of the output.
Applying these terms to our current social situation, namely the rape and murder of women, the concept of diminishing returns is proving to be true. The more and more we protest, talk, write and advocate for women's safety and protection, the less and less the perpetrators seem to be responding to this mere talk and advocacy. Why? Because some aspect of this one unit - in this case the perpetrator remains constant. This is what we are missing. What is it that we are not getting? Who are we dealing with? Uneducated men? Emotionally unintelligent men? Alcohol abuse? Controlling and jealous men? Insecure men? Men with low self-esteem? Angry men? Entitled men? There is a root cause. There is always a root cause or causes! We just have to find it!
Enter the other concept that has been on my mind - the law of attraction. Yes, I do believe in it to some extent. It makes sense. The more and more you focus on the same thing, positive or negative, the more and more you are likely to attract more of that same experience. Again, this is proof of the increase in the crimes committed against women. Unless of course, it has been happening already for a long time, and it is only now being reported on to this extent. Most of the country is now so fixated on the increase of the rape and murder of women, and how shocking and bad it is, that we are forgetting the problem? The MEN!
Just in today's papers these are but some of the newspaper headlines that I am reading: "Bishop denounces brutalization of women", "WAD condemns violence against females", "How many dead bodies before we wake up", "Mother of slain girl testifies", "You pained me: mother tells daughter's killer", "Vroue treur in Arandis se donkerste uur (Women mourn in Arandis' darkest hour)... the list goes on! There is so much focus on the violence against women that we are not focusing enough on the persons causing the violence! The MEN! Let's not beat about the bush any longer. It is safe to say that men in this country have a very serious problem. It is time for us to divert our attention to what these serious problems are. We need a 360 degree turn, and focus on each and every man in this country!
Unfortunately there is no neon sign indicating who is a potential rapist or murderer, just like there is no clear indication of who will be the next female victim. Yet, as a whole, we focus on women, and their safety, and their protection. All of them. Namibia, let's turn the focus to each and every man in Namibia. Let's put our men in the spotlight.
For years I have believed that if we could retrieve recorded or archived crimes committed against women, and profile all perpetrators, especially those committing rape and murder, by now, we should have had some kind of pattern emerging.
Who are these people? Where are they from? What do they do? Do they drink? Were they drunk? Where did they come from? What is their age? What is their race? What is their educational background? Do they have a criminal record? Do they have a history of violence? Where do these crimes take place? Do we have such a process in place? It is time for a paradigm shift. Ladies, all ladies, look at your partner, and let your guidance be your God given instinct. If it feels uncomfortable, and uneasy, no matter how small it seems, it is not right. Ladies, look at your male friends. Do not condone whatever you would not want your partner to do to you, because he is your friend. It is time. Men. You have to change!
• Marbeline Mwashekele is the Deputy Director: Information and Research in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs