What peace means to me

They often talk about peace as the absence of war, mostly wars are seen as large scale conflicts. But there are wars that seem to have no name, the ones we fight silently inside our homes.

Where the doors close softly to the outside world but the silence inside is louder than thunder, it carries the weight of unsaid pain, swallowed cries and footsteps measured carefully not to provoke a storm.

For many women like me and the ones around us- home isn't as peaceful as it's often described. It's a place where love is rationed, where kindness is conditional, where a woman's identity is buried and a place where fear thrives.

We have learned to read moods like weather forecasts: a sigh can mean danger and a question asked at the wrong time may earn you punishment.

Some of us carry bruises that bloom where no one can see, others carry words that cut deeper than fists could ever reach, some endure violations of the body and spirit in the very place that should have been sacred.

And still we are told it's marriage, endure and be patient. Keep quiet and keep the family together. You can't speak up and spoil the man's name, what a shame!

But what family are we really keeping together?

A family where one voice must dominate the whole household, where one partner's identity must be buried for another to exist fully?

Where control is normalized, manipulation termed as love and fear- a routine you can't escape?

Where we shrink ourselves to fit into spaces that hurt us , laugh carefully, speak cautiously and exist quietly?

Then there are these innocent souls, the children caught up in the middle of a situation they know nothing about . They adapt too quickly; they scatter at the sound of a knock on the door, they learn to silence their laughter mid breath, they learn that love is authority - the authority that breeds terror. They learn that home isn't a safe and peaceful place. And if care isn't taken , that's how violence continues- not just in systems but in generations

But even in the midst of chaos, I still dream of peace.

To me peace isn't a distant idea, it's something I crave .

Peace is what we all deserve regardless of who we are.

Peace is a home where my voice doesn't tremble when I speak, where I am not shutdown, dismissed or diminished.

Peace is a child expressing themselves freely without fear of being punished,ignored or judged.

Peace is when a child is corrected with love and not crashed by intimidation.

Peace is hearing the door open at the end of the day and feeling joy ,not anxiety tightening in my chest.

Peace is a home where children run towards their father not away from him.

Peace is feeling safe ,not just physically but also mentally and spiritually.

Peace is when you freely embrace and live your identity without being overshadowed.

Peace is mutual respect, mutual understanding and positive living.

And if I were given a platform, if I could stand before the lawmakers of my land, I would ask them to;

Strengthen the laws against domestic violence,gender based violence and child protection- not just on paper but in practice.

Protect women not only in public places but also in private ones.

Hold abusers accountable, regardless of their status or tradition.

Introduce safe spaces for women seeking help and funding domestic violence awareness campaigns.

Introduce positive masculinity education for men of all categories. Marriage isn't ownership, love isn't control and respect isn't optional.

Finally, We should all know that when a woman isn't safe in her home , there's no peace. When children grow up afraid of the people meant to protect them, there is no future peace.

Peace must begin where life begins- at home.

I am not asking for perfection, I am asking for humanity. I am asking for a world where women do not survive love or marriage and where children do not have to fear it.

I am asking for peace.☮️