It was early on a Saturday morning that a 25-year-old woman ran screaming into a mining concession chased by a man who was beating her with a belt.
By the time she entered the mining concession her body bore several marks of violence from the belt and a piece of wood which the man, who had been her reputed husband for nine months, had used to beat her with. Several persons stood and looked on as she was being beaten, but no one went to her rescue.
The woman was from Lethem and had visited the Region Eight mining area with a friend when she met the man with whom she struck up a relationship. But before long he had become abusive and on the morning in question, had found her on her cellular phone and accused her of infidelity before proceeding to beat her mercilessly.
The mining concession where she sought refuge is located in Granny Backdam and is owned by Azim Baksh, who was in Georgetown at the time. Baksh was contacted immediately by a member of his security team and he in turn made contact with President of the Guyana Women Miners Organisation (GWMO) Simona Broomes.
In a recent interview with the Sunday Stabroek, Broomes said the plight of the young woman once again highlights the violence women are forced to endure in the interior locations.
She pointed out that women on the coast who are abused have more access to assistance and police intervention but those in the interior locations do not have any option available to them.
She said she received a call from Baksh who informed her that the young woman had rushed into his mining concession, begging to be rescued from her abusive partner.
Broomes asked him to keep the girl safe until efforts could be made to get her out of the area.
She said Baksh has been supporting the work of the organisation and she appreciated the move he had made.
“That is what I call collaboration… We need more of this because the women miners can’t do it alone,” Broomes stressed noting that his security officers would have put themselves at risk in rescuing the young woman.
“The mere fact that they could put themselves at risk and see this as a serious problem and try to assist I think it was really commendable,” she said.
Broomes said she made contact with Commander Courtney Ramsey who dispatched policemen from Mahdia to the area. They took a statement from the woman and transported her to Mahdia, but the young man has since gone into hiding.
Broomes said the woman has since indicated that she plans to find a job in Mahdia in an effort to raise the funds to return to Lethem. This is not the ideal outcome she would have wanted for the young woman but Broomes said there was not much more her cash strapped organisation could do.
She said Commander Ramsey has been collaborating with the organisation and had recently assisted in bringing a two-year-old out of the interior, after her father had refused to return her to her mother. The mother hails from Essequibo and had sent the child to spend some time with her father in Bartica but the man took the child to an interior location and challenged the mother to travel to the area if she wanted her. The GWMO was contacted and turned to Commander Ramsey who was instrumental in ensuring that the father returned the child.
“There would have been no way that mother would have gone to the area and get that baby, this is something that happens all the time, people get spiteful and take these children in the bush and these children literally grow with all the smoking, cussing and fighting, and no schooling or nothing,” Broomes said.
Violence against women
Meanwhile, Broomes said she continues to be concerned about violence committed against women working in the interior and she sees her function as being the voice for the voiceless in the interior. This, she said, gives those affected some hope; knowing that someone is willing to speak for them.
The GWMO President said for the 26 years she has been involved in mining, violence against women, which includes rape, has been carried out with impunity, since women on the receiving end had nowhere to turn for help.
She called for more persons to be placed before the courts noting that there have been many reports of women being injured in the interior and no one being held culpable. She cited as examples the woman whose hand was fractured after being lashed by the brother of her employer and another whose eye was bored with a spoon—both women are still awaiting justice.
While the situation has advanced from the police not taking a statement to the police taking a statement and a report, persons are still not being charged.
Broomes pointed out that human trafficking, which the GWMO has been fighting from its inception, is a crime and that is also violence against women. She said she is very concerned that even though the organisation has reported matters to the police from as far back as last November no one has been changed in relation to any of the matters.
She admitted that a few persons had been charged in the past, but noted that in most instances, the cases fall through the cracks and no justice is served.
“That sends a very bad message to the whole country and a message of acceptance to the persons who practice trafficking in persons,” she said adding that she sees it as disrespect to the GWMO which is willing to work with the police and the government on the issue.
At first, Broomes noted, it was claimed that no one knew this was happening, but now that the evidence is being provided it is treated with disregard. She acknowledged that no trafficking victim has been rescued since January, but noted that the organisation is concerned about how the survivors are treated when rescued, adding that in many cases they are re-trafficked.
She pointed out that the GWMO is not funded; yet it is forced to spend money to help victims as others are not keen on financially supporting its work since they do not see human trafficking as a serious issue. Apart from funds secured from the British High Commission, she said, the organisation has not received any real assistance in terms of financing and as such does not have the money to go into the interior and help victims and sensitise the mining community on the issue.
Broomes is of the opinion that there is no need for training in the area of human trafficking as enough of this has been done but rather what is needed is to ensure that the victims who are trafficked receive justice and a strong message is sent to the perpetrators that “this is a real crime.” “It is at a stage where it is like a joke, it is really accepted at the higher level…,” Broomes said adding that her organisation will continue the fight especially after its home is opened.
The GWMO has received numerous reports of suspected trafficking cases and has approached the Guyana Geology &Mines Commission (GGMC) for assistance. But while the commission has indicated it has a budget to work with in the area of human trafficking, any collaboration must be with the national task force on human trafficking. To visit one of the areas from where reports have been received Broomes said, would cost over $1 million.
“With the amount of complaints received it is difficult to prioritise because all is where people have to be rescued…we will be going out there,” Broomes said adding that while funding has been a major bugbear the organisation is more concerned that no real help is given to victims.
She said once the GWMO’s home is opened more can be done for victims adding that what the country needs in the area of human trafficking is not workshops or training but rather action; going into the fields. And this, she said, does not mean flying into to landing locations but rather using the trails and going into the various backdams. Some have expressed concerns about going into the backdams since they said it is very expensive and there are security risks but Broomes pointed out that her organisation goes into those areas.
Earlier this year, the Catholic community had offered the former St Vincent DePaul Care Centre on Princes Street to be used as a home for trafficking victims.
The home now has a board and Broomes, while she did not want to divulge much, stated that funding has been promised to effect repairs on the building.
“At least I can safely say that the doors will be opened very early in the new year,” Broomes said.
Broomes expressed appreciation to the Sisters of Mercy and the Catholic Church – the first true partners of the GWMO.
