Women deserve to be loved and respected, especially when they leave their life behind to get married and get settled in a new world and lifestyle. A woman goes to a new home with a lot of dreams and hopes. But some unfortunate women don’t even get respected there. They get mentally abused, and if that’s not enough they even get physically abused in their married life. Let me tell you a story. A girl went back to her village for a university break and her parents emotionally blackmailed her to get married to an ‘eligible suitor’ before she got ‘too old’ to get married. She did what she was told to do because the happiness of her parents meant everything to her. But she wasn’t very happy. A few weeks after getting married she was mentally abused by her in-laws and there came a point where she got physically abused by her husband for dowry, despite the practice being illegal. She was locked up and left alone. She eventually agreed to bring the dowry from her parents but she wanted to go there herself and bring it. The in-laws finally agreed and let her out. She ran to her parents and told them everything. Fortunately her parents went to the police and they were tremendously helpful. They went to her in-laws house and arrested them. We always ask women why they don’t leave when they get abused, but do we ever ask men why they would treat their life partner like this? We should start asking.
- The reader is a resident of Ajman
