‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ is an autobiography by the late Maya Angelou describing her early life. In it she divulges experiences that include sexual abuse, racial prejudice and abandonment. It is a story of transformation; growing and breaking the walls of those social and psychological prisons.
We have fought for freedom throughout history and in this age, we enjoy liberation. In most societies, women are no longer repressed. Ropes and chains are not visible around the necks, hands and legs of most. There is religious tolerance. People are free to express themselves, irrespective of gender or sexuality.
But though these are 21st century realities, violations of freedom still cause confinement. Women are still objectified. Some are forced to marry men they do not desire, and many are still maimed and killed by the hands of those they love. We remember the Guyanese women who have died as a result of gender-based violence.