Domestic violence (DV) and its accompanying problems have become crucial discussion topics for a long now. Thanks to feminists, the dangers of the act are discovered and it is, hence, being rejected by many societies now. Before, DV was not frowned at, especially when women are the victims. It was believed that women cause whatever leads to violence against them and so should enjoy the show. It was also believed that men have the right to discipline their wives. However, the world today no longer accepts DV and has, therefore, criminalized every form of violence meted out on spouses, irrespective of the offender’s and victim’s gender.

Since DV is no longer seen as a norm, people have started calling out and condemning those that engage in it. Victims have also begun to come out to seek justice for wrongs done to them. Once they present the physical injuries caused by their spouses, the public supports them and chastises their offenders. However, not all DV victims can seek justice because not all injuries are physical. This is to say that there are many forms of DV, most of which offenders have resorted to because they are hard to prove.

Forms of Domestic Violence

1. Physical Abuse: This is the type most people know about. It comes in the form of physically abusing the victims. This can come in the form of slapping, kicking, pulling or twisting the arms and hairs, shaking, shoving, and hitting. This type is easy to detect because it causes sudden pains which makes victims cry out and alert neighbours. It is also easier to detect physical abuse because of traces of abuse left on the body of the victim.
2. Financial Abuse: Perpetrators of this form of abuse deny their spouses the right to financial freedom. They make their victims financially dependent on them because that is the easiest way to control and hurt them. These offenders are those that deny their spouses money for feeding and providing for other family essentials when they want to “discipline” them. They also frustrate their spouses’ efforts to run businesses or maintain their jobs.
3. Psychological Abuse: The offenders here manipulate their victims’ mental well-being. They instil fear into them even without physically abusing them. Here is where you find offenders that intimidate and threaten their spouses into submission. They make them afraid to object to decisions that are unfavourable to them or even to demand for those that favour them. The painful thing here is that people passing through this may be unable to speak out because they are afraid of what will happen to them afterwards. Besides, they know people won’t believe them because they have no physical injuries to show for it.
4. Emotional Abuse: Offenders here derive joy in seeing their spouses unhappy. They manipulate their emotions to make them cry all the time. They may do this through making them feel guilty unnecessarily, denying them things they need, using physical force, or humiliating them in the public.
5. Sexual Abuse: Many people still don’t believe that sexual abuse happens among married couples. Well, if someone is forced into sexual contact without his or her consent, that is sexual abuse.
6. Social Abuse: Those that do this prevent their spouses from having any form of social contacts or activities. Offenders here do not allow their spouses to connect and relate with friends and family members. Their victims are not allowed to subscribe to any social media platforms or even own a phone. Some monitor their victims’ activities on social media and use every minute reason to accuse them of misbehaving or being negatively influenced. They want their spouses locked away from the world.
7. Verbal Abuse: This is another common form of DV even though people are seeing it as a norm. Here, offenders use hurtful words on their victims. They resort to insults, body-shaming, recalling their victims’ past mistakes, reminding them of their weaknesses, and so on. This type of DV attacks victims’ self-confidence.

As can be seen, DV does not only happen when there is a physical attack. Every form of DV is dangerous. None should be preferred and none should be regarded as better than the others. DV, no matter how it is meted out, is evil.

Nigeria’s biggest company Dangote Cement Plc Tuesday reported a 16 per cent surge in revenue for 2020, culminating in its biggest annual sales ever, Premium Times has the report.

Total sales came to N1.034 trillion, N142.525 billion higher than the figure for the year before, the income statement of the cement-maker obtained by Premium Times showed.

It is an astounding run in the face of the pandemic that has plummeted economies, limiting building and construction activities.

The group’s quarterly profit before tax (PBT) during the H1 2020, was N109.11 billion compared to the N42.19 billion reported at the same period the previous year. The quarterly revenue was N284.59 billion compared to the N212.06 billion reported the same period the previous year.

The Nigerian government in the third quarter of last year excluded Dangote Cement from its blockade on exports to other countries through land borders especially to West African neighbors Niger and Togo, thereby helping the group to ramp up sales, Chief Executive Officer Michel Puchercos said on an investor call, according to Bloomberg.

Profit before tax swelled by 49 per cent, rising from N250.479 billion to N373.310 billion.

Profit for the year advanced from N200.521 billion to N276.068 billion, translating to a 37.7 per cent jump. That lifted earnings per share from N11.79 to N16.14.

Earnings were limited by a N188 million provision for impaired assets as well as a surge in income tax expense from N49.958 billion to N97.242 billion, implying a 94.6 percent growth.

Shareholders fund dipped 0.8 per cent from N897.937 billion to N890.970 billion, following Dangote Cement’s buyback of 40.2 million units of its shares in December at the cost of N9.8 billion.

The company’s board on Friday proposed a N16 per share dividend totaling N272.648 billion for shareholders for 2020, the same amount it has paid shareholders every year in the past three years.

“I am delighted to report that Dangote Cement experienced its strongest year in terms of EBITDA and strongest year in terms of volumes. Despite a challenging environment, Group volumes for the year were up per cent and Group EBITDA was up 20.9 per cent,” Mr Puchercos said.

“Looking ahead, we have strengthened our Alternative Fuel initiative which focuses on leveraging the circular economy business model and reducing exposure of our cost base to foreign currencies fluctuations.”

Shares in Dangote Cement closed in Lagos on Tuesday at N220 per unit, trading up by 3.09%.

The growth is also attributed to the ingenuity of Mr. Puchercos, who joined Dangote Cement from rival company Lafarge last year, and has since turned the numbers up for the Nigerian cement giant.

Mr. Puchercos said: “Dangote Cement’s strategy to offer high quality products at competitive prices is meeting customers’ expectations in Nigeria and across the continent, where we continue to deploy excellent marketing initiatives and operational excellence.”