I warmly felicitate the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Anambra State, on the occasion of its 2025 AGM and FIDA Week, a programme thoughtfully themed “Unmasking the Pain: An Exploration of the Causes and Consequences of Partner Violence among Adults.” This theme is not only timely; it is courageous, deliberate, and deeply humane.
For too long, partner violence has survived behind silence, culture, fear, and misplaced loyalty. It wears many masks, respectability, endurance, family honour, religion, even love. Yet beneath those masks are broken voices, wounded dignity, and lives quietly bleeding.
To unmask the pain is to insist that suffering must no longer be fashionable, hidden, or normalized. It is to say, boldly, that violence has no justification and silence is no solution.
As legal practitioners and advocates of justice, we understand that the law is not merely a set of rules; it is a shield for the vulnerable and a conscience for society.
Partner violence is not a private matter—it is a human rights issue, a public health concern, and a direct assault on justice. When one partner lives in fear, society itself is diminished. As has been rightly said, “Where violence begins at home, justice is already homeless.”
This FIDA Week reminds us that the first step toward healing is truth. Pain acknowledged is pain confronted; pain confronted is pain that can be healed. By examining both the causes and consequences of partner violence, FIDA once again demonstrates leadership that is not afraid to ask difficult questions or challenge dangerous norms.
“What we refuse to confront, we permit to continue.” This programme is therefore an act of resistance against cruelty and an invitation to restoration.
I charge participants, especially members of FIDA to let this theme move beyond speeches and banners into action. Be louder for those who have been silenced. Be firmer in advocacy, sharper in legal response, and more compassionate in engagement.
Let every clinic, every mentoring session, every courtroom appearance echo one clear message: violence is not love, endurance is not virtue, and survival should never be mistaken for peace.
To the women lawyers of FIDA, you are more than legal professionals; you are torchbearers in dark places. Continue to unmask the pain in homes, communities, and institutions. Continue to remind society that “Justice that does not enter the home has not gone far enough.” Let your voices reassure survivors that help exists, that the law stands with them, and that their lives matter.
I commend FIDA Anambra State for the depth of vision reflected in this year’s AGM and FIDA Week. May the conversations begun here translate into policy reforms, stronger enforcement, and renewed social consciousness. May the masks fall, the pain be acknowledged, and healing begin.
I wish the Association a successful AGM and a transformative FIDA Week.
Signed:
Barth Aniche Okoye
Immediate Past Publicity Secretary
Nigerian Bar Association, Eastern Bar Forum
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