“Stop Financial violence against men” campaigners criticized
By Alfred Kollie
For weeks now in Liberia, Social Media most especially Facebook has now been engulfed with a huge debate from men, who believe that they have been affected by financial violence meted against them by their female counterparts.
They noted that men have been used as a major source of income generation for women, which they said has encouraged Liberian women not to be independent in a relationship.
The “Stop Financial Violence against men” campaigners further argued that women squarely dependent on men for everything in a relationship something according them often leads to psychological trauma in a case where a man does not have.
They noted that their Advocacy which has gone viral on Social and Electronic Media will encourage women to be independent in a relationship and stop unnecessary demands, noting that love is not slavery.
The campaigners also want the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection properly strategizes its Gender program that will affect both men and women.
But in Sharp reaction to this campaign, Women’s Rights Advocate VickjuneWutoh says the group’s advocacy is meaningless and lacks no substance.
Wutoh says the advocacy by the group has political undertone intended to undermine the Global celebration of the 16 days of Activism against gender based violence.
She notes that only irresponsible men will join this advocacy in an apparent attempt to carelessly abandon their responsibility as men.
“The history of womanhood in Liberia is replete with woman who have been mesmerized by men of words, fortune and letters and left with burden of raising Children alone. We cannot urge our generation to repeat the mistake of elders and clearly those advocating are in the category of mistakes,” Wutoh adds.
According to her, it is no play to bully global action which is the 16 days of Activism that seeks to end a life threatening situation that is based on entrenched culture.
She wants those campaigners to abandon their selfish quest and join the 16 days of activism Campaign to bring an end to various forms of violence against women globally.
Several Women Rights Advocates including Child Rights Advocates Satta Sherriff and Abraham Keita, Former Press Union of Liberia President Abdullai Kamara, amongst others have also condemned the campaigner’s action, describing it as ‘worthless and undermining’.
Satta Sherrift and Abraham Keita said the campaigners do not understand the meaning of violence and as such it has be wrongfully used in their so-called advocacy.
Some of those advocates have also frowned on the Media for granting the campaigners their platforms to what they claims as unnecessarily justifying their ignorance on Women’s matters.
They say the media is a critical tool in any democratic Society with Liberia being of no exception.
Therefore, they are urging the local media to educate those campaigners about the significance of the 16 Days of Activism and its possible effect on the World instead of allowing them to grossly undermine this global action.
The Campaigners have used various local radio stations and newspapers to propagate their messages.
Despite all the condemnations, the Campaigners for men against Financial violence say they remain steadfast, courageous and fearless in their advocacy.
The Lead campaigners are Alfred Kiadii, Moses Yahmia and others.