The other day I was waiting in a room and a lady looked at me and sneeringly told me about something a person of Asian descent had once done that was improper. She snarled, “It was the Chinese.”
The tone of her comment, her facial expression and attitude were nauseating. I walked away and asked my companion why people have to be that way. Racism in Guyana is no secret – that much is true. However, there is another type of hate that is just as prevalent but gets very little attention – it is called misogyny.
Misogyny, or the hatred of women, is so embedded into our society that even women have come to accept it as normal. But there is nothing normal about hate. Whether toward another race, another nationality or another gender – hate is always wrong.
Misogyny is evident even in our court system. The rape statistics alone are atrocious. However, what is far more appalling is the number of convictions that DON’T put those thieves behind bars. I say thieves because these men steal something from women that can never be replaced – a woman’s peace of mind and her right to consent. It is a violation of the most heinous proportions.
These types of men should be removed from society for a good long time, but instead the courts give them free reign to rape again and again. And be assured, they will rape again and next time it could be your daughter, wife or mother instead of a stranger.
Another example of misogyny in Guyana is obvious in how difficult it is for an abuse victim to find shelter, report violence and obtain protection. Every day there are women all over the nation who shudder at the heavy footsteps, foretelling the arrival of their husbands, partners or fathers. They know those footsteps bring pain and more misery – and they know there is nowhere to turn for help.
Some of these women even fear for their very lives. They remain stuck in a situation that could end in death, yet have no way to get out. They live in constant torment at the hands of men who are supposed to love them.
