Foluke Daramola: Why I’m Campaigning against Domestic Violence

Ayodeji Ake

As an advocate and a warrior against domestic violence, Nollywood actress Foluke Daramola who is well known for her professionalism in the theatre world has revealed that she has been campaigning against domestic violence of women because her virginity was taken away in her teenage age by a rapist.

Foluke who is happily married with two kids, noted that there a lot of women who are from domestic violence but are keeping it to themselves so to hide way from public disgrace. But according to her, it’s better to stay away from domestic violence than being buried in it. She stressed that, not until women are battered will they be regarded as domestic violence but it could be in form of , psychological, emotional and physical violence. “I run a foundation called FARA, Fashion Against Rape and Abuse in Africa. I was about the first person that started the revolution of campaign against rape because I was deflowered by a rapist when I was in my teenage age. A lot of people say why disclose that. An organisation came from France that they want to have a documentary on me and they asked if I have a foundation but I said no, so they suggest I start a foundation to preach the gospel. A lot of people don’t speak out about rape, they keep it inside them. But the fact remains we have to speak out. “To women, I will say silence is not golden. If your husband is abusing you in any form and you refuse to speak out because of what the society will say then you will be killing yourself and nobody will take care if your children,” she said.

Lending her voice to how her colleague, Mercy Aigbe was seriously battered by her husband, she condemned the act saying her (Mercy) husband is her brother but she won’t be on his side for he has committed a crime that deserves justice. “The truth of the matter is when Mercy was battered, Uncle Lanre is my brother, I know him very well because we are from the same town but I am against what he did to Mercy. Assuming she has done anything wrong, she shouldn’t be battered. If I see him I will tell him to his face that that what he did was wrong. I have been in a marriage that I have been abused, psychologically and emotionally abused and I know what it takes, it’s just as good as the person is dead. So no matter how close you are to me, I will be against any man beating a woman,” she said.