Dear Editor,
It is heartwarming that Guyana’s new government is showing efforts to fight the scourge of domestic violence, sexual harassment and other injustices against women in particular, especially at this time when such acts are escalating.
Focusing on sexual harassment, I wish to suggest that this is more widespread than is revealed or reported. Due to our ineffective social programmes and services, citizens have become hesitant to seek assistance and redress, so most of them never utilize these resources. Men far outweigh women as the owners and leaders of business and are also higher in the hierarchy in the public and private sectors. This causes them to misuse their power. Within these workplaces, many women are preyed upon and many times, from the time that they seek employment. Such actions by superiors and even co-workers, should be treated as a serious crime with its commensurate jail term.
Our women need to be able to access resources which teach them to recognise the signs of a predator or a Casanova. The reason for this is that men have over the years been unrestricted in committing acts of sexual harassment and some have been able to hone their predatory ways into an art form to seduce their unsuspecting victims. Their actions are subtle but in many cases these men seek power from these conquests. This need for power sometimes develops into rape, if they are rejected. In lieu of that, they issue their subordinate with the alternative of surrender or dismissal or they are refused employment from the time of their interview.
Sexual harassment should also be identified in many other ways and be dealt the appropriate, severe treatment. We see such action in public areas such as the bus parks, where conductors are seen clawing at, pulling and pushing women in their attempts to get them to enter their bus or with an ulterior motive. A mere, deliberate touch to another’s body by a stranger should be disallowed by law and only allowed if the recipient accepts it.
A gentler, more harmonious and prosperous society can only be achieved with respect for the human body and individual mind.
Sexual harassment and seduction, in many cases are even carried out against married women and this of course further affects the moral fabric of our society. Suicides, broken homes, murder and financial difficulties could occur with the intervention of an illicit third party in a relationship. We need to reduce these already gargantuan issues which are decaying our society.
Yours faithfully,
Conrad Barrow
