Last October, just before the launch of an ambitious billion-dollar project aimed at combatting domestic violence at the end of that same month, this newspaper published two articles that reported on the presence of that scourge in two different segments of society. Neither was surprising as it is well known that gender-based violence permeates every sector and is no respecter of any class or group.
The first article appeared in the Sunday ‘Women’s Chronicles’ column and was published on October 4. It set out, in horrific and agonising detail, how a woman in a low-income area of this country was forced to rescue another woman and her three children after they had been battered and bruised by her partner, who was not their father. The rescuer, who was their neighbour, had found the woman and her children hiding in bushes near her fence. Though at first reluctant to get involved because she was aware that the abuser had relatives close by who knew what he was doing and did nothing, she bravely did the right thing by arranging and paying for a taxi to take the woman and her children to the police station. She then ensured that the Childcare and Protection Agency was informed. That intervention saw the woman and her children receiving the requisite support and their abuser arrested.
The second article, published on October 25, addressed domestic violence in the faith-based sector, how it is rampant and buried in many instances as some faith leaders place more importance on the image of their churches, particularly in cases where the abuser holds a position of prominence. A former pastor’s wife and domestic violence survivor, Ms Carlotta Boodie, spoke of women and children being forced to suffer in sadness and silence because the bigger focus is on keeping up appearances. Now a trained therapist, Ms Boodie was part of an alliance spearheading virtual conversations once a week throughout October, on domestic violence in the faith-based community. Her own experience and research she had conducted, she said, suggested that the prevalence of domestic violence in the faith-based community paralleled the wider society.
There still exists in Guyana today, a fair amount of ignorance regarding gender-based/domestic and family violence. For instance, there is the mistaken assumption by some people that violence is not occurring if there is no physical evidence of it. More sensitisation is needed on the other types which include emotional, financial and psychological abuse, as they can all be just as destructive. There is also a tendency among some to blame and/or judge women who do not leave or return to their abusers, without taking cognisance of their shattered or non-existent self-worth, and feelings of helplessness. These are among the issues that have to be continuously addressed by awareness and public education in all areas of the country.
Laxity towards and complicity with abusers among individuals, but more particularly law enforcement and public officials, as well as leaders in all sections of society must be frowned upon, denounced and challenged. As EU Ambassador Fernando Ponz Cantó noted in a message to mark International Women’s Day, which was celebrated on Monday last, women’s rights and gender equality is everyone’s responsibility. He added that it is important to directly challenge gender imbalance and inequalities.
In light of this one hopes that the European Union/United Nations global, multi-year Spotlight Initiative, which runs until 2030 and has already gained traction in several countries around the world, can really make the necessary difference here. The initiative covers six broad areas: laws and policies, strengthening institutions, prevention, services, data and women’s movements. To date it has supported the launch of the 914-emergency hotline as well as a cellphone app that directs those affected by violence to support services, which was introduced as part of the International Women’s Day celebrations. While these are commendable, neither addresses prevention or shelter, both of which are crucial aspects of curbing gender-based violence.
The challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic have seen a spiralling of this plague the world over. Here, the police reported last week that it had received 1,662 domestic violence reports, which it claimed was a 10% increase over reports made in 2019. Acting Commissioner of Police Nigel Hoppie revealed that from the 1,662 reports, 894 people were charged and 106 warned. He did not say how the other 662 possible transgressors were dealt with. In addition, Help and Shelter divulged that it had recorded an increase of over 300% in calls to its hotline service between April and November last year. It also lamented that its shelter was at full capacity for seven months of the year and it was forced to turn away over 35 survivors and their children.
There needs to be drastic action or there will be no change in the status quo, which is that one in every two women in Guyana has or will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime. This is a problem that cannot be fixed by declarations of zero tolerance or simply empowering women and girls. Among other things, men and boys must be engaged, issues of culture that perpetuate patriarchy addressed and the law relentlessly enforced. If tackled from all sides at the same time, perhaps the monster that is gender-based violence could be slain.
