Issues surrounding abuse stay a constant feature for women in everyday discourse because its relevance and seriousness seem lost on policymakers. Individuals and organizations looking to remedy this situation are constantly made to jump through hoops just to receive an audience from the appropriate quarters. This inadvertently puts a damper on the little gains made and it continues to frustrate genuine efforts looking to highlight issues concerning women. Abuse of any kind towards women is one that needs to be continually highlighted to help survivors understand that there is help out there and they are more than welcome to access them. However, how effective is drumming home this message if access to health care even for abuse cases is commodified and practically priced out of reach?
Victims of abuse struggle to deal with the trauma and self-blame accompaniment, while saddled by the exorbitant medical bills brought on them through no fault of theirs. A rape survivor nursing an injury or having to treat an STD is left to her fate if she is unable to afford treatment. For another, if accessing medical help means opening up to family (parents especially) and keeping them in the loop is what it takes, she will rather take her chances by being tight-lipped on their abuse. The blame game offers no help at all.
More often than not, the very brave few that break the silence about their abuse are often dismissively told to up and leave if they are suffering one form of abuse or the other. This is not only insensitive but also fails to take into account the abuse on its own social merit. In patriarchal societies especially, where marriage commands a high premium, the “Mrs” club is not one where a woman suffering any kind of abuse is looking to exit in a hurry by reporting the perpetrator (partner). They are instead told to brave through it for the sake of the kids or get to listen to spiritual leaders rationalize their suffering by ascribing divinity. They get told it is probably a test of their union by the Almighty and so they stay and the abuser gets emboldened by every single act thereon.
Matters of abuse are multilayered in such a manner that is incapable of exhaustion in one writing, however we can always choose to at least address the need for “National Quality Medical Care for All.”
Medical examination and psychological assessment forms a crucial component to a rape or any physically abused survivor’s chances of getting justice. It also helps to eliminate the risk of contracting STDs, kick-starting the process of starting anew. Early free/affordable medical care is potentially the ace of hearts in the deck of game changing initiatives geared towards assisting survivors of abuse.
More Mens’ Clinics need to be accessible by the general public and encouraging them to seek medical help and not go around thinking it is some badge of honor to be taken advantage of by the opposite sex. It will give both genders the primary care needed that goes a long way to inform the next line of action. “National Quality Medical Care for All” by the looks of it, is a necessity, and the process is going to take deliberate policy on the part of stakeholders and policy makers alike to bring free quality medical care to fruition.
Written by Alhassan Hafiz Gunu
