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By Lara Olusanya
The Cambridge dictionary defines oppression as a situation in which people are governed in an unfair and cruel way and prevented from having opportunities and freedom.
"Oppression is a cruel or unjust exercise of power."
An oppressed is kept down by severe and unjust use of force or authority.
There are different types of oppression, some of them are – violence, exploitation, marginalization, racism, cultural imperialism and demonic oppression.
Oppression can start as early as in primary schools and continue up till one is old. Have you ever heard of little children being ostracised, picked on or bullied by their peers because they look different, sound different or have a disability? Have you heard of someone being passed over for a promotion because they are female or because of their skin colour? Have you ever heard of old and vulnerable elders being treated unkindly? Or have you heard of child labour or young girls being trafficked for sex?
Oppression can occur at any stage in life, in any cultural setting and even in institutions that were created to protect us. Since oppression is a common problem and can happen to anyone, it raises the question, why aren’t people being educated on how to handle it?
Before I talk about some of the things we can do to insulate ourselves from oppression, I would like to mention some of the tell-tale signs, that one is being oppressed.
Fear
Anxiety
Not being yourself
Decreased self confidence
Withdrawal from family and friends
And aloofness
Have I ever been oppressed? I believe so.
Some of the examples that come to mind are
Trying to make me feel insecure at work because of my skin colour and accent.
As a kid, being made fun of because I was very skinny.
Being taken advantage of because of my personality and my love for God. Throwing things at me because they know I wouldn’t retaliate because I don’t want to offend God
Lastly, a family feud with my half siblings, which resulted in me being spiritually attacked and oppressed by bad dreams and nightmares.
Now that we have a basic understanding on what it is, next week we'll take a look at what things we can do to beat oppression. Until then, Bless you!
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