Survivor of gender-based violence, Cavu Bogidrau, shared her experience of a painful marriage cycle, describing how domestic violence rarely begins with a punch but often starts with harsh words, emotional manipulation, control or financial pressure.
While speaking during a Vigil Night organised by Empower Pacific at the British High Commissioner’s residence, Bogidrau says violence escalates when society normalises disrespect or chooses silence over action.
She says gender-based violence respects no border.
The mother of seven children says it is not a private matter hidden behind closed doors, it is a breach of human dignity, a violation of trust and a tearing apart of the very fabric on which families and nations are built.
Bogidrau who is a widow, shared her journey that before marriage, she lived with her sister, who endured an abusive relationship, and witnessing her suffering left a deep emotional wound.
She says this was one of the reasons she left home and married young, believing she would find safety and happiness. However, as the years passed, abuse found its way into her own marriage.
Bogidrau says her married life became a painful cycle, and she held on to hope that her husband would change, especially for the sake of their children, but no one in her family offered support.
She adds that the Empower Pacific Helpline 5626 made counselling easy to access, and she says the support changed her life.
Today, she runs a small business and shares her skills with women in her own community and beyond.
Her message is that there is hope; if you are going through what she went through, reach out and speak to someone you trust and you are not alone.
