Glenda Simms, Contributor
THE STORY of the taxi driver who chopped up his common law wife and their three children has to be one of the most horrific incidents of violence against women and children in 2003.
Incidents such as these alert us to the reality that many homes in our nation are war zones where individuals, usually the women and children, are systematically beaten and sexually and financially abused. In the same vein, in many of these homes, men are exposed to verbal abuse from women who often times suffer the frustrations of total dependency and the lack of the physical strength to defend themselves from their abusers.
In many instances, people in the community, (strangers as well as family members), are well aware of the violence in such homes, but they do very little to intervene in order to help with positive and peaceful solutions.
In Jamaica, every incident of murder, rape and pillage is an incident which has the potential of affecting everyone within all our communities. Those within the violent communities and homes see the atrocities up front. Their children see far too many incidents of violence and criminal activities. Those of us outside of these communities and homes are not spared the horrors because the local television stations graphically inform us each night of the latest horror story. In a real sense, this knowledge isolates us and keeps us captive behind our grilled doors.
TIME HAS COME
The time has come for the women of Jamaica to give serious thought to new initiatives against violence.
Although women may find it difficult to get involved, they need to develop an awareness of the necessity to take the initiative to strive for peace in their communities. Often times, women feel they should "keep their mouth shut" or "turn a blind eye" when violent crimes are committed against others, including other women. This is especially the case when the violence is perpetrated by their sons, brothers, fathers, husbands or boyfriends.
These male relationships have a way of dulling women's sensibilities to the role that they need to play if they are to be protected from the high levels of violence and crime within this society.
The time is right for women to unite around this common cause. Indeed, women must realise that they must become activists for positive change and positive action that will lead to the prevention of the escalation of violence in both their homes and in their communities.
Women are socialised to believe that they are powerless in male-driven systems. They need to regain the power of their presence in the human family and use this power to broker on behalf of all oppressed people within their society.
This inherent woman power is demonstrated at different times in different societies. Sometimes we need to take a look at people with whom we do not associate power and influence and see how they have made their mark through unity, strategic alliances and through a belief in themselves as vital human beings.
A case in point is the formation of a Canadian organisation called the 'Raging Grannies'. Kate Hartfield described this group in the Aug/Sept 2001 edition of Ms. Magazine as a group of older women who have formed loose, activist groups in many cities in Canada and the United States "They concern themselves with everything poverty, education, destruction of the environment, gender inequality and unequal access to healthcare."
This group uses its own unique brand of humour to bring the message across to the many publics with whom they interact. They are old, but they know that they can make a difference and they do not ask leave of anyone to stand up for their rights.
Unless women start playing a role outside of their present, socialised designation, the violence that we now experience in Jamaica will not come to an end. The young men who are committing some of the most atrocious crimes are socialised in a very macho, individualistic and inhumane framework. They act as if they have no regard for humanity and human life and, most importantly, they have very little regard for themselves or their lives. Thus, in this process, all members of the community become expendable.
One might ask why we need to focus on women. We do so because women are the wives, mothers, sisters, girlfriends and daughters of the men who carry out the majority of criminal activities in this country. Therefore, the women need to reinvent their connections to their men folk in order for them to say "no" to all forms of violence.
While we recognise that women are not a homogenous group and that they operate in ethnic, class-based and differing geographical locations, we need to encourage all women to start thinking about how they can ensure a more peaceful society. They need to do this because violence and aspects of warfare affect all women as individuals within the household and in the communities.
While some people spend their time trying to deny it, we need to accept the fact that Jamaican society is unhealthily stratified along lines of caste and class. Such stratification is a systemic barrier to the empowerment of women at the national level. In fact, such stratification lulls women of the upper and middle classes into a false sense of security in spite of the rampant violence that is all around us.
A WAY OF LIFE
On the other hand, poor women and those trapped within the inner-city enclaves have come to accept violence as a way of life and a part of their destiny. What is even more sad is that both groups of women are forced by socio-economic class to take a hands off attitude towards the nature of the violence that has come to characterise our entire society.
Moreover, the total effect of violence affects all of us who are citizens of our nation state. Indeed, when our state is defined in terms of violence, then outside jurisdictions take great liberties in demonising all members of our society.
The women who are mothers, wives, sisters and daughters need to start a process of peace-building from the level of the grassroots. They need to break down the negativity that predispose them to see all other women as enemies. In the process of brokering peace, in some of the most violent communities, women of all classes need to join forces with one another and come together to articulate women-focused strategies for peace and development.
At the beginning of each new year, we traditionally make resolutions. Hopefully, finding peace in 2004 will be on the wish list of every Jamaican woman.
Dr. Glenda Simms is the Executive Director of the Bureau of Women's Affairs.
