Women mostly bear the brunt of gender violence

Editor, Reference is made to Sunny Ntayombya’s article, “Jay Z-Solange Knowles fight reveals ugly discrimination when it comes to assault and domestic violence” (The New Times, May 14).

Monday, May 19, 2014

Editor,

Reference is made to Sunny Ntayombya’s article, "Jay Z-Solange Knowles fight reveals ugly discrimination when it comes to assault and domestic violence” (The New Times, May 14).

Of course it is possible for women to commit acts of domestic violence, but the proportion of women who are attacked compared to that of men shows that domestic violence is primarily an attack against women.

The article appears to make the case that men suffer, too, which they do, but not nearly to the extent that women do. And by writing this (and by the way was Mr Ntayombya in the elevator with them so he knows exactly what happened?) the author appears to be seeking sympathy for men which takes away from the efforts being made around the world to stop gender-based violence (GBV) against women.

Would he be writing this same article about India, for example?

This issue is further highlighted by the other article in the same day’s paper (see: "MPs decry ‘growing’ gender-based corruption”) revealing that Parliament is investigating the very common practice of employers demanding sexual favours before they would give a qualified young woman a job.  

If that has happened to just one man, would Mr Ntayombya be writing a similar kind of article saying that "It happens to both genders”?

Peter, Rwanda