And Still I Rise

Sometime ago, a friend asked my why so many of my postings were centred on violence against women and girls. Left unsaid was that I was wasting time over situations in which women were not as "innocent" as I thought. Instead, I was given a range of topics that I should consider exploring. How can I be expected to keep quiet when on no less a day that International Women's Day a 10 year old girl child was sodomised by a 26 year old animal and left bleeding on the floor of her school's bathroom. If the reports are true the child was held at knifepoint for close to two hours by her abuser until she was rescued by some some adults. This should really put the issue of school security into sharp focus especially as it seems the teacher was less than responsible in ascertaining the child's whereabouts when she failed to return to the classroom.

"I'm hurting". Haunting words attributed to the victim as recorded by The News nespaper. And hurt she will. Long after the physical scars are healed the emotional pain and confusion will continue. I suspect her life from hereon will be divided into pre and post rape. It shouldn't have to be this hard being a female. Far too many of us are violently introduced to sex and then discarded like yesterday's trash. Something is wrong when adults who should know better use these innocents to act out their sick fancies. Parents should not have to fear evils like this could befall their children and children's innocence should not be so brutally stolen from them. And like Minister Baptiste I fear that advocacy is dead. Maybe it is that violence is so commonplace that our senses have become dulled since lately we have seen it all.I know I can never forget 12 yr old Lokisha Nanton raped and hung by her own clothing or Stacey Wilson decpitated at the bus terminal and now this unnamed little child.

This is a blog post I wish I didn't have to write. However,I am mindful of The Hon Rene Baptiste's words as she delivered a feature address to commemorate Women's Day. So speak I must in the hope that we are shaken from our complacency and know that violence against females is a clear and present danger. If only we could put some of our political energies into addressing these ills then SVG may yet recover her soul.