Meeting someone of the opposite gender can be intimidating, but some would go to extreme lengths to avoid the interaction altogether.
A man from Rwanda has reportedly experienced half a century of isolation due to his “extreme fear of women”.
A Rwandan man has lived in complete isolation for 55 years as a result of struggling with an extreme fear of women
Highlights
- A Rwandan man has lived in isolation for 55 years due to an extreme fear of women.
- 71-year-old Callixte Nzamwita started his self-imposed isolation at age 16.
- Callixte carries out all activities within his home, including cooking and urinating.
Image credits: Afrimax English
71-year-old Callixte Nzamwita is said to have chosen the self-imposed isolation for the past 55 years, confining himself within his home to steer clear of any interaction with women.
Callixte reportedly initiated his self-imposed isolation at the tender age of 16, and since then, he has carried out all activities, including sleeping, cooking, and even urinating, within the confines of his own dwelling.
Image credits: Afrimax English
In a YouTube video released by Afrimax TV, the isolated man said: “The reason I locked myself inside here and have a fence on my house is because I want to make sure that women will not come closer to me”.
A neighbor interviewed by the channel recalled: “When we try to help him, he doesn't want us to come closer or talk to him."
“Instead we give him things by tossing them into his house."
“He doesn't let us get close to him, but he still takes what we offer from a distance”.
People from his community have to throw what he needs into his house, as he is terrified of encountering the opposite gender
Image credits: Afrimax English
Image credits: Afrimax English
Although Callixte appeared to be rather frail in the video, he seemed determined to persist with the lifestyle he has apparently maintained for more than five decades.
“The way I live is enough for me,” he said.
He continued: “I didn't have any idea of having a woman and I'm okay with that."
“I do not want women around me because they make me really scared.”
"I didn't have any idea of having a woman and I'm okay with that," the elderly man said
Image credits: Afrimax English
You can watch his interview below:
Callixte might be suffering from gynophobia, a fear or a phobia of women, where people often experience fear or anxiety that can interfere with daily life, PsychCentral stated.
The website clarified that despite common myths, gynophobia is not simply misogyny but a real phobia.
Oppositely, androphobia is a fear of men. According to Cleveland Clinic, a person with androphobia experiences extreme anxiety about men, and for some people, even images of men bring on immediate phobia symptoms.
Many men were inspired by Callixte's lifestyle
