On Tuesday, members and supporters of local NGO Red Thread staged a protest in front of the Ministry of the Presidency against Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence.
The protest is the second of its kind aimed at pressing President David Granger to remove Lawrence from her post. Head of Red Thread, Karen de Souza has expressed the opinion that Lawrence’s recent actions have shown her to be unqualified for her post.
Two Wednesdays ago, Stabroek News reported that Minister Lawrence had referred to molestation accusations against a then APNU+AFC candidate for the Georgetown City Council as a “family matter.”
The candidate, Winston Harding who has been charged more than once in the past won his seat on Friday even though APNU+AFC withdrew its support for him after a news item in Stabroek News.
Asked to give her opinion of the government’s response to the situation, de Souza said that while the party withdrew their support and the president has said he will ask Lawrence to explain how Harding made it on to the list, he has not touched the issue of how she has contravened the sexual offences act and endangered a minor.”
de Souza was at the time referring to the most recent accusation against Harding which was made in 2012. The alleged victim who was at that time seven years old reportedly made a statement detailing abuse at the hand of Harding to officers at the Brickdam Police station. While there is no evidence that the matter was pursued legally the child was removed from a home shared with Harding.
The longtime activist is particularly disappointed that ministers of government continue to be insensitive in their handling of issues related to women and children.
“It is so disheartening. We made similar criticism of the last government and I don’t expect to have to deal with this from this government and from a woman minister. It was the men in the last government who were offensive but for a woman to deal so insensitively with a child protection issue is absolutely unacceptable. She has clarified that she is unsuitable for this position, she can’t deal with child protection and it is now for the government to recognize this clarification as I have and reassign her, de Souza said even as she expressed confidence that the president will act.
“I don’t think he is a president who will ignore this issue,” she explained. Red Thread plans to stage a similar protest each week until such time as the minister is removed.
