Violence Against Women and Children

-
                                                                   The Caribbean Is One Nation.
                                                                       

 Our sister’s keeper                                                                

Trinidad and Tobago National Flag




Last week we marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Here in Trinidad and Tobago, it was also a week in which a 26-year-old pregnant woman died of a heart attack; a cocaine addict with a three-week-old baby appeared in court; a battered 18-year-old woman was featured on our front page; and a Tobago secondary school pupil who, having been gang-raped at a football match in October, was publicly embarrassed by a school official. As if these were not tragic enough, the week ended with the horrific discovery of the body of missing six-year-old Keyana Cumberbatch who had been raped and murdered before being stashed in a barrel of clothes at her home.
All these incidents, in different ways, highlight the ongoing challenges faced by women and girls in this country. Worrying levels of maternal mortality, single motherhood, domestic abuse, rape and murder paint a dismal picture of the conditions affecting the female population. At the same time, they contrast sharply with the consistent reports of female mobility and success in every sphere of national life. 


Trinidad and Tobago can be proud of the progress of its women, many of whom have made their mark as high-performers in sport, education, the corporate world, politics and civic life. In the face of all this progress, however, women remain under threat of the age-old scourge of rape and domestic abuse. To combat these crimes against women, T&T has enacted stronger legislation and enhanced support systems. The results, however, remain unimpressive. So long as one woman or girl is raped or abused we will have to accept that our society is not safe enough for our female population. While Parliament, police and the State have their responsibilities in doing so, there is a role for each one of us.
We can help by being more alert and perceptive about the signs of distress and anxiety in others, especially children and women, more willing to listen, more supportive of those enduring testing times, and more informed about the resources and avenues available for helping victims of abuse.
Our institutions, too, are critical in making this country safer and more supportive of our girls and women. The memory of the police officer who refused to lend a raincoat to a naked victim of rape remains a burning memory of shame. Ditto for the school official who failed the entire education system by embarrassing a schoolgirl who had endured the trauma of gang-rape.
In 2013, there is no longer any excuse for attitudes to rape and domestic abuse that belong to the Dark Ages. As a people we must commit to setting our faces firmly against both and reject any suggestion that crimes against women and girls are in any way justifiable. All of us, men and women, girls and boys, must rise to the responsibility of being our sister’s keeper.
(From The Trindad Express, Editorial 12/02/2013)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

International Women's Day : Our Caribbean Women, Our Hope

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation As we celebrate International Womens’ Day, we are cognizant of the role our Caribbean women have played in the cultural social and economic growth of our region and evolving Caribbean civilization. They , like our men , have risen from the depths and decadence of slavery , to the highest political and corporate ladders in the region. They have given birth, to millions and have made and continue to make significant contributions to those in the Diaspora. In many cases, where they were not the biological mothers, they nurtured, cared and developed those , who were deprived of parenthood , and socio-economic hope. They are in our classrooms, directing young and fragile minds , how to navigate a world that we in the region , must forever avoid being dragged into conflicts of the so-called super powers. They are pursuing all the opportunities of our tertiary educational institutions, including the University of the West Undies, often in higher numbers than our men. I
Read more

Task Force on Food Security Needed

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. We need a task force on food security. Here's why. Dr. Chelston Brathwaite By Chelston Brathwaite In June 2022, I brought to the Senate a Private Member's Resolution to discuss the issue of food security in Barbados. The objective of my efforts was to bring to the attention of the Senate and indeed to the attention of Barbados society, the precarious situation of food security in this nation. The bill was grounded in the fact that we only produce about 20 per cent of our food and was presented in the context of the proposal by the CARICOM Heads of State to reduce the food import bill of the Caribbean by 25 per cent by 2025. With that date being months away from today, in my view, the goal is unlikely to be met. The economists of the world have predicted increases in the cost of food in 2024 due to global shipping challenges and volatile climatic conditions. They have indicated that due to the war in Gaza and climatic challenges in the Panama Canal, ships w
Read more

Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance

-
Image
One Caribbean Nation. By William Skinner Me and V: a personal introduction to gay tolerance I must have been around nine or ten years old. V was a well-known gay citizen, who lived in my beloved hometown of Britton’s Hill, in the parish of St. Michael, Barbados. My earliest recollection of V was his apparent penchant for dressing in white. I seldom saw him in a long pants, and he walked with an amazing rhythm. Even at that early age, I realized that he was very effeminate. He always seemed busy   out and about in the Brittons Hill area and it was obvious that everybody knew him, and his notoriety was island wide. I also noticed that he was always exceptionally clean. Later, I would learn that he was also known as a popular pudding and souse vendor, who carried on his trade in the vicinity of Nelson Street, in the city. He was well loved and respected in Britton’s Hill; along with that respect came good-natured heckling. One day, around midafternoon, about three of my childhoo
Read more