Tuesday, July 19, 2011

 

Open season on women

According to figures presented by Yasmin Odlum at the Regional Colloquim of Women Leaders as Agents of Change St Vincent and the Grenadines is the OECS state with the most female homicides between 200-2011. The Searchlight newspaper in conducting its own research found that there were 45 female homicides recorded during that period as against 43 in the Odlum report. A further break down of the figures showed that 17were from intimate partner violence, 8 involved rape or some other form of female directed aggression, 6 from vehicular accidents, 4 drug related, 3 from other family disputes and the remainder from unconfirmed cases. Based on the Searchlight's research 2007 was a particularly bloody year with ten female homicides, eight of which were committed by a male lover or spouse. As if this was not damning enough the rape statistics for St Vincent and the Grenadines are just as horrifying. Odlum cites 802 rapes for the period while official police reports put the figure at 540. Despite the disparity in numbers we can all agree that the figures are alarming and places tiny St Vincent at 112 rapes per 100,000 persons second only to Bahamas' 133. We should also note that many rapes remain unreported which means the figures could be significantly higher.

I cannot say with any certainty the reason/s for this escalating violence that is being perpetrated against our women. A couple days ago the news reported a 34 year old man was given 15 years for the rape of a 73 year old woman, this after yet another man was given the same sentence for the rape of a teenager. I believe that violence is something that is largely learnt and the first opportunity to learn it comes from our homes, parents, siblings and those we view as role models. Unfortunately, one of the ways by which children are exposed to violence is as a result of aggressive behaviour by parents as well as parental abuse of children in the name of discipline. Far too many children have grown up seeing violence as the only way to resolve conflicts while too many sport the physical scars left by the rod of correction. Children who ae abused and who witness it will grow up with a greater chance of being violent. Of course not all children thus affected turn out to be perpetrators but studies have shown the link between exposure to violence and later involvement in some form of violence.

This violence is most often transmitted from the home to the public arena giving rise to increased intolerance and in a way lowers inhibitions against violence. Doesn't the news of someone being murdered fail to shock as it once did? It's as if slowly but surely we are becoming desensitized while offering up thanks that our loved ones are safe. Clearly,the situation is unacceptable but how do we reverse it or do we even have the will to come up with solutions? It may sound simplistic but going back to the basic concept of respect for each other is a step in the right direction.

Comments:
Hi Abeni, I liked this post. Do the reports include information about the weapons used to kill these women? Also, are these rapes committed at gun point? Thanks. Adriana
 
See this is why I would advocate women arming themselves. It may seem like a radical suggestion but with figures like these, even if you take the conservative ones, it would seem like women need to be more proactive in their own protection.
 
Hey Adriana,thank you.I believe they know how the women were killed but they didn't print. I suspect it is a lot of chopping based on memory. As to the rapes again I feel some weapon involved or just plain force especially in cases of incest
 
@Empath I hear you! Girl I have my little weapon kit too
 
Vincentians like sheep went and vote back a party where their leader raped a policewoman; we like it so!HOW ABOUT HAVING ANOTHER RAPE RALLY TO CELEBRATE THIS ACHIEVEMENT; WHAT IMPRESSIVE FIGURES!

Vincentians have reached a point where WORTHLESSNESS IS NOW ACCEPTABLE;WE HAVE LOST OUR SENSE OF DECENCY.

SEX IS NICE...RAPE ME!

Are we NOT ASHAMED AS A PEOPLE?
 
Ummmm what we know is there was a rape allegation brought against the leader.

Sex nice..rape me? I don't see how the two are correlated. Rape is violence..rape is assault.

I am not ashamed, I am saddened that women and young girls are under seige.
 
Oh yeah and angry too
 
Rape allegation? Where is the policewoman now? Oh wait she still in the police force!Is Gonsalves not merciful. Abeni, now I understand why you are not ashamed. Were you one of them jumping up in the rape rally? In any other country, Ralph Gonsalves would be in jail or at the very least out of office.

Sex nice...rape me... sarcasm my friend, sarcasm.

Are you really angry Abeni? YOU COULD FOOL ME. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WOMEN IN SVG ARE ANGRY BECAUSE OF THESE FIGURES...NEITHER ARE THE MEN WHO ARE IN POSITIONS TO MOVE PUBLIC OPINION. I THINK THERE IS A LEVEL OF APATHY WHERE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS IS CONCERN, THAT HAS TAKEN HOLD OF OUR PEOPLE.WE SEEM ONLY INTERESTED IN WORTHLESSNESS. AND ONLY WHEN SOMETHING HORRIFIC ON THE SCALE OF A COUP D'ETAT WOULD WE WAKE UP.

I AM INDEED ASHAMED AS A VINCENTIAN SEEING THESE FIGURES AND KNOWING THAT OUR PRIME MINISTER RAPED A POLICEWOMAN..."allegedly".
 
Excuse my ignorance because I don't know which rape rally you are talking about. I suspect it is some political rally and for the record this woman goes to none.

I guess South Africa is not a country because Jacob Zuma and rape allegations are forever linked. Now if you tell me the PM's rape allegations have hampered him from speaking with authority then yes but I am no wiser to whether he did it and neither are you.
 
-Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.[William Shakespeare]

-Jacob Zuma WENT TO COURT AND DEFENDED HIMSELF...and your point is?

Abeni, I saw you at the rape rally with a placard,that says:IT WAS JUS A REASSURING KISS @4AM...NO RAPE!

By the way, speaking of Jacob Zuma, Zuma is one dumbarse,the woman he had unprotected sex with was HIV POSITIVE...but guess what Zuma said in court when they ask him if he was aware of this...he said HE TOOK A SHOWER SOON AFTER HE "JAM" THE WOMAN TO CUT THE RISK OF HIV INFECTION...LOL...unbelievable.
 
Errrrrr if you don't get my Zuma point forget it me friend.

See why the HIV Education is so very important and needs input from all even the Planned Parenthood Associations....Sex Nice................
 
Abeni, thanks for bringing this serious issue to light. There needs to be a fundamental shift in the values people hold in society.
 
Enjoying the banter between Sadist and Abby,carry on guys.
 
@anon sad is fun most times and we have a lunch date upcoming..right S?
 
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