(Trinidad Guardian) From beheadings and having their throats slit, to brutal sexual attacks and disappearing without a trace, women in this country are becoming more and more afraid of being attacked for being loud or dressing provocatively or worse, because they are just there, doing nothing but minding their own business.
The reaction to the murder of 20-year-old Shannon Banfield by women and men in homes, public transportation, workplace corridors, and on social media has been one of strong condemnation.
Since reporting of Banfield’s murder, prominent women have made vocal calls for government intervention, for women to take back their power, for education, and for men to stand in solidarity and support against gender-based violence.
Take back your Power
—Sunity Maharaj
Sunity Maharaj, the managing director of the Lloyd Best Institute of the West Indies (LBIWI) immediately responded with a call to action for women to take back their power.
“Things can be easily done, information that can be made more available to women as to what to do, how to seek help when under threat,” said Maharaj in an interview.
“It is for women and all of us to recognise that the world has changed and society must be recrafted to recognise that women are no longer property. There is a lingering notion of property.”
She said there was no sense of capacity in the system to protect people, and women had the additional threat of rape.“Women have always been strong, I can’t bear the idea that women are afraid. They need to remember their personal power.”
Acknowledging that the issue was not “simply” about murdered women, Maharaj said the State needed to get involved.
“You can hear they (the Government) are not saying anything because they do not know what to do. It is a fundamental problem with the development model.”
Men must stand up
—Gabrielle Hosein
“I think that men’s movements against violence against women need to be more active. I want to call on men to organise against violence against women, to come together and strategize on how they can play a role on stopping violence against women,” said women’s activist Gabrielle Hosein.
She said women’s safety was not guaranteed in this country and they did not feel protected by the protective services.
Hosein said she thought most women would say that ending a pervasive culture of fear about violence meant transforming the deep rooted reasons for those fears and for that violence.
“We know gender-based violence against women happens in a context where there are social norms that make the unequal relations of power between women and men a part of women’s daily lives.
“We have that kind of culture. When the Prime Minister on the campaign trail says I am a loving man, but come elections day says I will beat her, in other words I am a loving man but if you step out of line I will show you who is boss. That is the language of violence normalised at the level of politics.”
Hosein said women were not safe in homes, in taxis, in work places, and in the streets.
She said police must be given resources and training to follow international best practices that have lowered the rate of violence against women in other countries.
We need more
education—Sherna
Alexander-Banjamin
Executive Director of the Organisation for Abused and Battered Individuals, Sherna Alexander-Benjamin, said one of the main things needed was education regarding the culture of gender-based violence against women and girls.
“We need to change the norms and to educate men to understand the value of a woman and her contribution to society.”
Benjamin said for things to change, a multi-sectoral approach was needed with a collaboration of government, religious leaders, civil society, and private organisations.
“It affects everyone, communities and families, and the effects of it is felt in wider society,” Benjamin said.
“Gender-based violence is not only a women’s issue. It is a men’s issue as well. We need to find other ways to resolve conflict. There is no sure-fire way that would work, it is using multiple approaches in combat.
45 women murdered so far for 2016
Shannon Banfield (Dec), Apphia Quamina, (Aug), Abiola Noel (Feb), Karen Grant (May), Vanessa Ackie (Oct), Crystal Tobias-Busby (Nov), Natalie Smart (Nov), Amanda Mayers (Nov), Anisha Ali (Oct), Judy Taylor (Oct), Jennifer Ragbir (Oct), Frieda Goodridge (Oct), Lisa Matagoolan (Sept), Carla Archalal (Sept), Summiya Davis (Sept), Tereesha Heeralal (Sept), Denise Martin (Sept), Rosemary Blackburn (Aug), Sueann Titus (Aug), Annie Sammie (July), Ardia Yearwood (Aug), Carlene Grant (July), Jenny Jones (July), Jameela Wilson (May), Crystal Ramlochan (May), Patricia Fletcher Thomas (May), Nerissa Goora (May), Karen Grant (May), Alicia Gilkes (April), Felicia Persad (April), Eden Teesdale (March), Ann Marie Bain (Mar), Gabrielle Francis (Mar), Aamina Mohammed (Mar), Angeline Ali (Feb), Aneesa Murray (Feb), Asami Nagakiya (Feb), Ishma Ali (Feb), Hassina Khan (Jan), Alvina Warner (Jan).