Women's rights activists welcome government support – Action louder than words

Action speaks louder than words was the response of activists to prime minister-designate Stuart Young’s pledge to protect women from abuse.

Speaking to Newsday at the Network of NGOs for the Advancement of Women’s march celebrating IWD at Woodford Square on March 8, Sabrina Mowlah-Baksh, general manager of the Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said the organisation had been calling for increased support and resources since it was established in 1985.

“We've had all kinds of iterations of administrations pledging support for increased resources, but we're yet to realise and see those pledges come to fruition. So we welcome the comments and we welcome the commitment, however, we look forward to seeing how that commitment is honoured.

“We're willing to work with the minister to ensure that the commitment made is coupled with the necessary resources and to help to guide him and to support in how he can allocate those resources.”

At a function to mark International Women's Day (IWD) at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's, on March 7, Young said the government he hopes to lead would create policies and practices to curb domestic violence and help women access support.

He said he would ask the Opposition for its support to increase the penalties and sentencing of those who commit acts of domestic violence against women and find ways to help perpetrators mentally.

Mowlah-Baksh said there was a range of things around prevention and protection that needed to be improved and for which there had been calls for action.

For example, she said there were issues around the issuance and implementation of protective orders, and there were domestic abuse survivors, both male and female, who were hesitant to go to police stations or who had negative experiences with the police when they made reports.

“We also have issues with the justice sector – how soon the cases come up, whether the judgments are handed down and observed through a gender-sensitive and a gender-responsive lens.”

She added that a lot of prevention work needed to be done to address the root causes of domestic violence, and resources needed to be allocated to address them. She said that work had to be made mainstream in which people went into communities, including schools, to help the public understand what domestic and gender-based violence were, what individuals and communities needed to do to eradicate them and how to deal with those affected.

She said the coalition helped about 50 people a month and all of its various services were free, so it had to go to individuals, the corporate sector and have fundraisers to get $1 million annually.

She said the coalition did not get any subventions from the government but she and the organisation would welcome it.

“So while we talk about needing to go out and do the work, we have to understand that there are people out there doing the work already. What is needed is just a simple intervention by the state and other sectors to ensure that the work is continued.”

Senior lecturer at the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at UWI Dr Gabrielle Hosein, a Newsday columnist, pointed out the Domestic Violence Act was recently revised and the women’s movement was happy with the substantial changes made.

She said any more legislative changes should be done in consultation with communities.

“I don't believe that anyone in the women's movement has asked for harsher penalties. In fact, we've asked for programmes for men, mandatory counselling programmes for men and other aspects that include a restorative justice approach.

“And I think we are cautious of lip service and we'll be willing to believe commitment when we see action that is done with consultation, and that actually makes a difference.”

Jacqueline Burgess, coordinator of the Network of NGOs gave “all kudos” to Young for his commitment because, she said, the country had been working on the issue of domestic violence for years, but there was no significant change.

“If there is some concentration on penalties, that is positive but we need policing. We have to find the perpetrator and apprehend them, and the trial and penalty have to be swift and severe.

“We can’t have a rape case lasting for 15-20 years? What’s that? We have to see swift results.”