Housemaids' Not Sexual Servitudes

Housemaids' Not Sexual Servitudes

These new lines brings to light obnoxious obscene acts going on in most Nigerian homes.

In Nigeria, any family which can afford 3meals daily can afford Househelp. This piece is not writing to condemn the role of househelp in most homes, but writes to condemn the ongoing obscene scenes that happens in most homes with Househelps where the housemaids are always the victims.

Not too long ago, there came an awareness on the number of births in households in Nigeria. Sequel to that, Nigerian parents hatch children depending on a very uncertain meager resources. The culture of birthing as much as you can was the stronghold of our ancestors who believed in 'Igwebuike'. It was also an assurance for wealth and riches. This culture went on not until of late. Few people  now has embraced birth as you can train other than 'God go train dem''. Even until now, most people do not care about the rising number of populations and decreasing resources. This culture instigated the giving out of children to supposed average families. At least the burden of feeding that one child, clothing and school fees is off. As we usually see, the girl child are always the ones given out, given that they are better hands as it regards domestics. Sometimes, these children are fortunate to acquire education, sometimes they're unfortunate to get one or are stopped halfway.

Housemaids are always known for their unusual enormous strength for house chores. We're not even talking about the maliciously inhuman maltreatments they get from their host parents.....but the conscienceless sexual abuse they go through on daily basis. There's this obsequiousness they're characterized with, which  their predators take advantage of.

The boys are not left out as victims of sexual molestation and abuse, but for the purpose of this piece, I will narrow it down to *'Housemaids'*

The issue of girl child sexual molestation and abuse has been a global discourse on many lips for years now. The girls have never stopped being molested sexually or being victims of rape.

According to UN reports on the girlchild in 2015, 4 out of every 5 girls has been either sexually molested or raped in Nigeria. And their Predators are not unknown hoodlums out there.....they're people within.
For most Housemaids, whether in service or not...always have that story she is afraid to share.

Her fear could stem from being naive. Her fears could be loosing her opportunity to be in school, getting beaten, thrown out or even not believing her story. Anything these girls can't get their minds figured out, is their big fear. 

Their Predators manipulate them with these fears, compelling them to remain silent at the completion of every round. What we don't know is that pregnancies results from these concealed abuses which their predators quickly aborts. Sometimes, when those pregnancies fail to abort, wives/mothers founds out, these girls were returned and their lives ruined else for the inexorable ones. In counter cases, their predators keep feasting on their sexual toys with smelling conscience.

These Predators whose victims are handmaidens under their roofs are not far fetched. They could be neighbors, brothers, sons, grandfathers and in many cases 'Husbandmen'. Clergies are not left out on this.

Predators strategically stage their target victims. While some act too nice towards their target victims with the purpose of winning their trust, some act too mean and hard on the surface to erase any trace of suspect. The former are strategical with subtleness, luring their target victims without coercion, using flashy gifts and manipulative promises. The latter uses force and coercion to subjugate their target victims, manipulating them with their weaknesses(fears). Either ways, one common thing is that......these girls are not independent of their choices when still under your roof.

Predators always strikes in the absence of a third person. Making sure their victims won't say a word. Their victims in their naive state will agree to keep silent. Some of these victims live on with these sad tales without sharing a word with anyone about it.

These girls grow, knowing how bad they were defiled and abused by their Aunt's husbands, brothers, sons....they now know it ought not to be. Some of them speaks up while some are still afraid to say a word of it.

Their Predators goes on, freely, and looking for the next victim to strike.... and the thread goes on.

You don't know how many voices silent out there

Definitely, you don't know how many still living with the fear

You don't know either how many the experience hampered their mental health

Neither do we know how many, the experience influenced negatively

But we all know how close  these Predators are, they're within.....they're around us.

In view of the above, we all have a social responsibility to protect the vulnerable naive lads out there.
In different homes in Nigeria, if we've not heard, we've seen, if we've not seen, we've experienced the unacceptable obscene act perpetrated on most Nigerian 'Housemaids' by the harum-scarum of some husbandmen who unashamedly plunges in their irresponsible 'longtin' into their vulnerable victims.....people they're supposed to 'Father'.

This piece was inspired by 'Housemaids' stories.
Through this piece, I wish to lend my voice to others campaigning against Child sexual abuse and molestations.

And to remind the victims of this act, how strong and brave they're. You're a fighter and strong woman' .

.........✍️Phebby