Help and Shelter has decried the silence with which reports of abuse is usually greeted as well as the fact that many women are blamed for the violence perpetrated against them.
In its statement to observe International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and its 13th anniversary, the organisation which provides counselling and shelter for victims of domestic violence, as well as a host of other services, noted that the violence continued despite progress being made at the highest levels to recognise it as the effect of pervasive gender inequalities that exist and to address it by legislation, public education and service to victims.
Help and Shelter noted two cases: one of a girl being stoned to death in Somalia in front of a crowd of 1,000 and the other of men throwing acid on two girls in Afghanistan, and said that while there was no visible stoning in Guyana, the violence continues to a large extent because of the attitudes of silence and blaming which the crowd in Somalia exhibited.
“We continue to blame women for their attacks and our condemnation of abusive behaviour is largely silent,” Help and Shelter said. It was noted that in many of the country’s communities residents do not mobilise to stop abusive behaviour and violence, believing that it is only the victim’s duty to do so while blaming her for not seeking help or for ‘allowing’ the abuse to continue.
Help and Shelter welcomed the president’s encouragement of concerted civil society efforts and the establishment of a $15M fund for domestic violence interventions. However, it noted that the domestic violence policy calls for direct interventions, especially with the police force.
The president was urged to follow through with the government on all the areas of the policy.
Help and Shelter called for the enactment of enabling the legislation and the implementation of a family court as approved by cabinet while it looks forward to the early passage of new sexual offences legislation as comprehensively proposed in the ‘Stamp it Out’ consultation paper.
