'Walkout' marchers demand safety, respect for women

HUNDREDS of women (plus male allies) on Monday marched through Port of Spain on the occasion of International Women's Day (IWD) to demand the right to walk and travel free from the fear of assault and harassment, in an event termed, Walkout for Women.

While the murders of Andrea Bharatt, 23, and Ashanti Riley, 18, ignited candlelight vigils nationwide nightly, women are still victims such as Karen Rauseo-Karim, 53, murdered last Tuesday in Princes Town, plus a 34 year old woman shot and wounded in Princes Town on Thursday.

Placards and jerseys reflected the walkout's theme, "Walk free not brave," for women to not have to be constantly on their guard.

One protester's sign said, "I am fed-up being afraid."

Organisers included Womantra, Act to Change TT, CAISO, Conflict Women, Silver Lining Foundation, CEDAW Committee and the Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS) of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine.

Passer-by Pat Thomas told Newsday she was at City Gate when she decided to join the march.

"Sometimes the spirit just tells you. I'm walking for everybody because you could never tell what could happen."

A woman ahead of marchers on a car-microphone demanded, "We want to walk free not brave. Women deserve to be safe in our streets!

"If you are in an office or a shop, we are asking you to walk out and join us as we march to Woodford Square to make streets safe for women. We deserve to get to where we want to without harassment. We are reclaiming the streets of TT to be safe for women."

Marchers had to march once around the square before they were allowed in, and then braved passing showers.

The railings of Woodford Square bore placards displaying the names of murdered women.

"Do not forget Polly-Ann Chuniesingh (and) Cindy Carter," read one.

Inside the square, cardboard silhouettes each portrayed a murdered woman or girl and bore her name. Attendees were invited to write a message to each victim.

In an address, Act for Change's Samatha Juman demanded safer transport for women.

Dr Angelique Dixon of CAISO read out a petition of demands for women's safety plus social reformation, notably drawing applause for her proposal of sex education for youngsters and gender-based violence (GBV) education.

"We want the Government to speak up. Where is the leadership? We are demanding it now."

Womantra founding director Stephanie Leitch publicly named nine women who were murdered in taxi-related incidents.

"Of course we have showed up and walked out today for all women but today we wanted to particularly acknowledge these women and use their loss of their literal life to galvanise our actions around having safer transportation for women. When I say their names, you can say, 'We remember you,' and then we'll have a minute of silence."

Leitch read each name – Andrea Bharatt, Ashanti Riley, Nicole Jaggan, Roberta Patterson, Rachel Ramkissoon, Devika Lalman, Gail Durity, Leah Lammy and Sammy Lobai.

NATUC head Michael Annisette urged a collated effort.

"We have to forge the society we want for our women, children and elders."

The IGDS's Renuka Anandjit told Newsday the public can get guidance for a Write Your MP Campaign (urging action on GBV) at the website

Asiyah Mohammed of Conflict Women told Newsday, "We want to further shine a spotlight on gender-based violence in TT and the urgent need for the Government to take action now to prioritise GBV to ensure there are not many other girls who are murdered like Ashanti Riley and Andrea Bharatt. The Alliance for State Action has six demands. We have an action plan to end GBV since 2016 that is still in front of Cabinet but still unapproved. This is unacceptable.

"I think the Government has been taking small actions but what they need to do is call an urgent meeting with stakeholders and find urgent, immediate solutions to ending GBV.

"They done small things, like pepper spray, but before a woman can reach in her bag to get pepper spray she might be murdered. It's taken us so long to get to the point of Government approving pepper spray, how many women might be murdered before that happens?

"The Government has to call civil society to the table because we are the one working at the grassroots with survivors every day."