How Being Raped Affected My Role As Mother – Foluke Daramola-Salako

Popular actress and producer, Foluke Daramola, took a bold move some years back when she revealed in an interview with Saturday Beats that she was raped at a young age. And according to the actress, in a recent interview with Saturday Beats, the horrible experience has largely influenced how she has raised her 13-year-old daughter.

“I always enlighten my daughter about how some men can be when it comes to sex. Even when I am not around her, she always cautions men when they try to touch her in a way she is not comfortable with.  She tells me when she feels harassed by a man. She is out of the country at the moment, and people always call me to ask me how I trained her.

“In my days as a young woman, I couldn’t discuss sex with my mum; even till now, I still cannot do that because of the orientation I had as a young girl. If my daughter should get deflowered today, she will tell me because we are friends. I started discussing sex education with my daughter when she was six; I didn’t feel it was too early because she had a rapid growth.

“I was raped by my tenant because he thought I was older than my actual age. I am comfortable with my daughter being around men because I have educated her,” she said.

Noting that rapists should not be spared, Daramola called for capital punishment for offenders.

“I believe the government should pass a law against rape; rapists should be killed when they are caught. I don’t call myself a rape victim, but a rape victor.  Rape victims become a shadow of themselves; they have no form of self-esteem, some of them even take their lives. When it happened to me, I thank God I had friends who helped me recover fast. “When I came out to say it, people were shocked, but I am happy that after my interview, people started coming out to talk about their experience. It has been happening; it is just that people don’t talk about it. An abuser is always a product of an abuse. I’ll advise parents to always pay attention to their children and listen to them,” she told Saturday Beats.

Speaking further about her active role in politics and advocacy, Daramola added that she would rather participate in politics and ensure positive changes in the entertainment sector than produce movies that she may not profit from.

“When it comes to contesting a political position, I am taking my time; I just don’t want to jump in without having a vision. I still do movies, but I can’t be working and having little to show for it.

“I want to do a movie and have something to show for it. We are advocating for a better life for ourselves as creative people. I would rather advocate for things to be right. I also have my family to cater for and other businesses to pay attention to,” she said.

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