Dear Editor,
The protest activities of October 11 2012 on the East Bank of Demerara must undergo a neutral gender analysis, considering that women comprise a major portion of the Guyanese population. While any conflict negatively affects both men and women, it is apparent that women are often the more vulnerable group.
Women affected on Thursday included those exercising their right to peaceful protest as a means of raising public awareness about perceived injustices. Another group was women in the workforce and educational institutions who make the daily commute to the city from areas such as the West Coast of Demerara, the East Bank of Demerara and the West Bank of Demerara.
These women are normally encouraged to travel independently given the tolerance in Guyanese culture for women to exercise their rights to work and receive an education.
These necessary rights were however, dangerously and wretche-dly trampled upon on Thursday when women were unexpectedly caught in a masculine dominated bottleneck.
Many women were alone and ended up stranded, either at the Stabroek Ferry Stelling or in the vicinity of the Agricola/Eccles main public road. In each area, agitated crowds were present. Reports in the mainstream media have been that persons caught in these crowds were robbed. A significant portion of those negatively affected therefore, would be women from across the wider political divide.
As a society we owe a better duty of care to-our mothers, daughters, sisters-our women. Shame on our fathers, brothers, sons-our men-who failed to protect us or even apologize for the particularly harrowing impact of Thursday’s events on our women.
It is unacceptable to reduce our women to a state of non-mention. That conveys a message of disregard for the protection and promulgation of women’s rights.
The women of Guyana deserve the right to continue to exercise our basic human rights without fear, harm and influence. On every socio-political issue, special and primary care should be taken to avoid any decision, action and or mandate which could have negative impacts on the safety and well-being of our women. I want to live as a woman free to work, educate myself and among other rights choose and defend any political view in autonomy from violence; I want to stand and proudly declare ‘I am a Guyanese.’
Yours faithfully,
Esther Liang
