By Patricia Watson, Acting Flair Co-ordinator 
Women and children demonstrating in Rema. - File
"For women in the ghetto tomorrow nuh exist," says a resident of one inner-city community
FOR HUNDREDS of people living in Kingston's innercities, violence and crime are as common as day and night. Many have lost mothers, brothers, sisters and fathers to what police statistics describe as domestic violence.
Since the start of the year, communities in Western and Central Kingston have gone through several upheavals which have resulted in the deaths of many. Data from the statistics division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) shows that 991 people have been killed by gunmen or during domestic disputes since the start of the year. Of this number, 96 are women and a large percentage of those killed are from the inner cities of Kingston.
Hidden within the statistics, are the pain and the burden that women in the inner-city carry as a result of violence. Just surviving is a heavy task and many exhibit signs of emotional stress, a phenomenon which is highly
understudied.
"Majority women are the backbone in most families. When the man gone to prison or dead and yu can't get a job, the woman haffe bear all the stress and pressure and burden. Women haffe wash, cook, take care of the children and seek employment. This makes the woman frustrated and much of the time, dem pour it out on the kids.... We need some help bad," Rosie, resident of central Kingston told Flair.
Rosie, 43, has lived in the ghetto all her life. She has experienced inter-community violence when gunmen almost snuffed out her life. She has not lost any relative to violence, but the effect of it hovers around her like a plague.
"It's a most depressing situation. We having war daily in the communities. The community is like ghost town, people who have small business can't survive because of the war. The war has spread to everybody -- mother, father,
sister...," she explained.
ONCE VIBRANT
Rosie said her community used to have numerous businesses such as car dealerships, wholesales and factories, but "crime and war chase them out of the area." Today, most of the women survive mainly through remittances from overseas or through low paying jobs, if and when they get them.
"There is nothing now, poverty is just staring everybody in the eyes. For women in the ghetto tomorrow nuh exist. They have to think about how to survive today. You have to think about daily meals, there are a lot who don't know where they will get food... women can't be empowered under this situation. You can't empower somebody who hungry," Rosie noted.
Director of the Bureau of Women's Affair, Dr. Glenda Simms agreed with Rosie's
observation.
"Women (in violent communities) have no sense of the future and as a result they can't give their children any future and that is the sad part in all of this," Dr. Simms noted.
She explained that violence, whether that perpetrated through inter-community fighting or by the police, has a significantly greater impact on women than men.
"Half of the time, she is the head of the household and if the police kills the son, even if she knows he was not the best of sons, it affects her. She is a torn woman who finds it difficult to turn him in to the police."
SHE LOST HER SON ON HER BIRTHDAY
The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) notes that the effects of violence on women can be devastating and can scar them psychologically, cognitively and interpersonally. Experts claim that many women in these situations carry around feelings of guilt guilt that the child she has raised, or the man she is living with is on the wrong side of the law. They are put in a delicate situation of choosing between keeping quiet and reporting him to the police. This no-win situation is said to be extremely stressful for the women.
The stress is even worse for those women who live in the communities because poverty holds them there. It is also heightened when the child you grew up to respect the law is killed by the law.
Daphne Miller lost her son June 8. It was her 58th birthday.
"Is that mi get fi mi birthday. Mi can still hear mi son calling mama, mama ... dem lick out him teeth, and beat him kill him and when dem done, dem shoot him," Miss Miller said.
"He is the best one, him is like a lamp. He used to do music..." she said, her hands shaking and fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "All now people still sending to call him to play music."
ECONOMIC DRAIN
Violence in the communities can lead to a pervasive drain on the economies of these areas. For instance, the cost of health care, court appearances, bail fees, and reduced income due to deaths add up, pushing the communities
further into poverty.
Miss Miller's son who was employed prior to his death, left three children ranging between three weeks and three years old, their care now rests on her.
"It very rough. When mi realise mi couldn't manage fi support di children without work, mi haffe come back to work. Mi neva really want come back, because a here it happen (Eagle Craft), but when mi see mi don't have anybody to fill the gap...," she explained, her voice trailing into a sob.
"When mi look and see mi caan find any food fi give dem. Is just mi. Everyting just come dung pon mi. Is just me one."
Miss Miller noted that she had only $10,000 in her bank account when her son was killed suddenly and today has nothing and is struggling to care for her grandchildren.
Miss Miller is getting counselling from Families Against State Terrorism (FAST).
GRIEF
The chairman of FAST, Yvonne Sobers, noted that grief has a long-lasting impact on women in the inner-city.
"Grief, because they have to find money (which they do not have) to bury their loved ones. She will have to borrow this money and afterwards she will be in grave debt. She has that debt over her head, and at the same time have to find a way to look after the children," Mrs. Sobers explained.
The women, she added, are usually left in a state of trauma and deep psychological problems that, in many instances, stays with them until death.
"It is a whole dynamics of stress. She has no money to see psychiatrists ... she has to deal with her own grief and that of the children left behind and at the same time try to control her own anger at whoever took away her loved ones," she said.
But although violence impacts heavily on women, Mrs. Sobers explained that they are able to survive because they will beg, cry and talk about their problems, something the men do not do.
"The men have major problems, they can't beg, they can't cry, as a result they have major trauma and this is expressed in battering the women or the gun," she stated.
"This unresolved trauma is where the problem is ... and is extremely costly to the state."
Most of the women to whom Flair spoke, expressed a desire to leave the inner-city.
"The community very rough, violence out here bad... I would move from here right now, but mi nuh have anywhere fi go. Is a lady house mi live inna, mi have nothing. Mi mind nuh contented at all," Miss Miller said.
