Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs Under Fire For Saying Women Cause Domestic Violence By Their Actions

The Lagos State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Lola Akande, is causing major controversy on social media following her remarks on Thursday, that many women, by their actions, are the cause of the rate of domestic violence in Nigeria.

Akande, who was represented by Mrs Olushola Falana, Director, Women Development Department, WAPA, made the observation at a programme on Management of Domestic Violence, organised by the ministry in Lagos.According to her, negligence, sophistication, misguided utterances, infidelity, use of abusive words and gullibility on the part of the women, are factors that drive domestic violence. “It is no longer news that many women have lost their lives through domestic violence. The more we try to put the blame on the men folk, the more we will continue to turn blind eyes to the fact that many women are the cause of the domestic violence we see today.This is because we fail to understand some important aspects of how most men are wired. Some women also cause violence by using abusive words and misguided utterances that can provoke the men.

But let me also state that a man who beats a woman is a beast, and does not deserve to live with humans. No matter how provoked you may be as a man, please, never raise your hand to beat your wife,” she said. The commissioner advised men and women to be understanding, tolerant and communicate more, to prevent violence in marriages.