“I will not let you hit your wife!” I yelled. “I work for an organization that is empowering women to end violence in their lives.” Moments earlier, my older brother had joined his wife (my sister-in-law), daughter and me on the balcony of his house. As he ate, he complained that his wife was using the charger for his mobile phone. He grew so angry that he threw his plate of food on the floor and stood up to confront her. He tried to punch her, but I pushed him away.
This was not the first time I had experienced violence. My former partner and the father of my two children threatened to kill me when I was 24 years old. He physically abused me, treating me like I was his punching bag. He often struck my face so people would know he “owned” me. With all of the bruises, I always felt ashamed to walk in public. My past experience with my former partner made me more sensitive to what was happening in my family.