Domestic Violence
Gaiutra Bahadur is doing research to compare the wife murders from the late 19th century amongst Indian labourers with what is happening now. She is interviewing people who have been involved in the work against domestic violence. I am answering her questions here.
1. Has there been an increase in murders and attempted murders of
women by their husbands?
I believe there has been, though I am not counting since I believe 1 is as bad as 20. I know that over the last 10 years I feel that there has been a drastic increase in the murders. I also believe that if the deaths from suicide of victims of domestic violence are counted, then the number would be higher. We have had some deaths which are after years of abuse and which have not been called 'murder' though neighbours and relatives believe that they are. Women have also been killed by their sons.
2. Has there been an increase in domestic violence against women more broadly?
I think that there is an increase in reporting and that people are seeking help from the police and the courts, and I have a feeling that people are seeking interventions earlier . There are no statistics, so it is difficult to determine what the trends are. I remember a man from a sugar estate telling me in 1997 or so that 'man nah ah beat dem wife suh much like lang time' . However, there seems to be an intensity in the use of violence generally in the society.
3. If yes, what do you attribute this increase to?
(So , I think there is an increase in reporting because of the awareness and the breaking of stigma)
4. Kwame Gilbert with M.E.N. suggested that the socioeconomic
assertiveness of Guyanese women, their move toward greater equality,
has led their men to feel threatened and thus act out with violence.
Do you agree? Are the killings a reaction to women displaying newfound
power in any fashion?
There are some people who feel that gender based violence happens because men fear backlash. Each perpetrator has their own pathology, and I suspect that there are a range of issues which perpetrators would use to excuse their behaviour. Many women in Guyana continue to occupy low income jobs, so I am not sure that there is any greater 'socioeconomic assertiveness' . The stories I hear seem to be that many women are not going to put up with abuse or violence, not going to stay for 'love' or 'family', and some women have said that they rather be poor outside of the abusive relationship than be poor in one.
Meanwhile,
I hope that MEN would respond to the campaign by Mackeson Stout using images of a promiscuous Konshens to 'be a real man'.
5. What are the underlying causes for the violence?
I know that the tolerance for domestic violence is rooted in belief about man being superior to women. This thing about infidelity.. if every woman had killed her unfaithful man, where would be today? There is another dimension that this is how people solve their problems, cuff up and cuss out and chop up . We should be examining what is going on, and the discuss the linkages with other forms of violence - like how many of us accept beating children in school and home as 'normal'.
6. How do you as advocates address the problem? What can you do?
At Help & Shelter we continue to do public education, advocacy for the implementation of the laws. A group of us in 2008 crafted some actions in a National Domestic Violence Policy which we thought was comprehensive. Sadly it seems that this policy is not being used and not being implemented in any coherent nor is its implementation being monitored.
7. Are the domestic violence laws strong enough?
The DV Act I believe was crafted to allow for civil remedies since many women especially wanted the violence to end rather than the man in jail or the relationship to stop. I might be wrong about this assumption. However, the related laws on sexual offences and assault are sometimes used, though some forms of abuse are not 'illegal'. So the laws should be reviewed.
8. Are they being enforced?
Not always, people have complained of the orders not being enforced with police support. There have been some instances where some men have continued to threaten and I remember one case where the woman was killed when she left court and went back to her new home.
9. How does the system (courts, law enforcement) need to change to
tackle the problem?
Police need to do what we asked them to do in our submission to the Disciplined Services Commission . There are inconsistent responses, and there should not be. About eight weeks ago, a young policeman in Linden asked for training at his police station, and when I saw him this week, he told me he had heard nothing more from the Training school. These things have to be institutionalised in the Guyana Police Force.. they keep shifting around the police who have good track records with domestic violence.
10. Is this a systemic problem or a cultural problem?
After about 15 years being involved with Help & Shelter, you wonder sometimes whether you are doing the right thing given the increase in the murders, but then the question is often asked, what if we did not do any work, what would the situation be like? There is a cultural tolerance for violence - again, I believe that there is a linkage between domestic violence and the tolerance for beating of children at home and in school and unless we deal with the beating of children, we will get nowhere with other forms of domestic violence.
At the same time, the systemic issues which need to change are not moving, eg the need for a consistent and accountable police response. Culturally, I remember reading a story about a case in Essequibo where the villagers excused the man's violence because the woman was unfaithful. I am not sure if they would kill all the unfaithful men in that village. I like Alissa Trotz's analysis
11. How do you change culture?
Culture changes all the time, and for various reasons. One thing I know is that we have definitely changed the culture of silence around domestic violence, in that people are talking in different places which would have been silent 10, 15 years ago. School children do research on domestic violence for their school based assessments, and the media carries more stories of the work being done. Some faith based organisations like the Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventists have had public awareness through campaigns. On our website, we have a fatwa written by one Muslim cleric in 2004 - no doubt there needs to be constant interventions and campaigns, but it is not impossible. While I have heard a Pandit say 'a Hindu wife stays with her husband no matter what', I have heard a Swami say 'remember Durga and Kali, you are not only the manifestation of the faithful Sita'
We have to review history, the myths, examine the source of the narratives, let people imagine a different kind of life in which their families do not have violence. Many women of faith believed that it is their faith which encouraged them to leave abusive relationships, so those are the things to look at as well.
12. Do you think chutney music promotes domestic violence? If yes,
should lyrics be censored? Or is there is an alternative to that?
I am not sure about chutney - some other forms of music seem to promote sexual violence. There is this 'thing' about music in which the social commentary irony thing might seem to be promoting, so we have to know from those who hear it whether they think it is being ironic or whether it is meant to be followed. Chutney and liquor are closely related, and there is a whole series of things on chutney and gender.. Radika, lef and gone, why.. , etc.
Censoring of lyrics.. forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest and in this wonderful day and age, with media all over, I can get access to anything which is censored or forbidden.. so, working with artistes, producers, promoters, listeners?
13. What role does alcohol abuse play?
Ah.. alcohol 'abuse', I believe alcohol 'use' is the problem in Guyana, not the abuse. Alcohol seems to intensify the physical violence and its presence
14. Is this a problem that confronting Indo-Guyanese primarily and if
yes, why do you think that is?
Oh no, "indo guyanese' is not homogenous so there are different responses I guess depending on where people live. I have a feeling, though I cannot prove it, that an "indian woman' might take longer to deal with her situation in the current environment, but again, I have no proof. If there is no physical violence, are there other forms of abuse being tolerated?
In the days of the inter-racial violence post 1992, there was this whipping up of 'Indian women will be raped by black men in the streets', we had to point out that in our history an Indian woman and girl was more likely to be beaten, raped, killed by an Indian man than a black man.. and some of the activists said about 'private violence' and 'public violence'.. apparently one is more acceptable than the other.
Changes are slowly happening. The main Indian religious institutions (Hindu, Islam) are talking though one has to listen to ensure that there is no victim blaming (yes it is wrong, but it is your karma and so on, or the need to 'preserve the family'). Another friend who is active at his mandir asked me whether Hindu (Indian?) women/men would prefer to speak to Hindu(Indian?) people - who knows?, because in the early days they did not since it was felt that speaking out was betrayal and many preferred not to speak out to people from their 'group'. The fact that he is talking though, is good. Would not have happened 10 years ago.
One large Hindu organisation which we had approached in the early days, did not even acknowledge our letter, kept saying to me 'we are discussing this at the committee level'' - last year at their main cultural show, they had a skit about domestic violence!
There is a lot more work to be done. The questions should always be asked as a way of checking to see what the response is needed. Things are changing globally as it relates to domestic violence, but still, it remains the most pervasive form of gender based violence.
1. Has there been an increase in murders and attempted murders of
women by their husbands?
I believe there has been, though I am not counting since I believe 1 is as bad as 20. I know that over the last 10 years I feel that there has been a drastic increase in the murders. I also believe that if the deaths from suicide of victims of domestic violence are counted, then the number would be higher. We have had some deaths which are after years of abuse and which have not been called 'murder' though neighbours and relatives believe that they are. Women have also been killed by their sons.
2. Has there been an increase in domestic violence against women more broadly?
I think that there is an increase in reporting and that people are seeking help from the police and the courts, and I have a feeling that people are seeking interventions earlier . There are no statistics, so it is difficult to determine what the trends are. I remember a man from a sugar estate telling me in 1997 or so that 'man nah ah beat dem wife suh much like lang time' . However, there seems to be an intensity in the use of violence generally in the society.
3. If yes, what do you attribute this increase to?
(So , I think there is an increase in reporting because of the awareness and the breaking of stigma)
4. Kwame Gilbert with M.E.N. suggested that the socioeconomic
assertiveness of Guyanese women, their move toward greater equality,
has led their men to feel threatened and thus act out with violence.
Do you agree? Are the killings a reaction to women displaying newfound
power in any fashion?
There are some people who feel that gender based violence happens because men fear backlash. Each perpetrator has their own pathology, and I suspect that there are a range of issues which perpetrators would use to excuse their behaviour. Many women in Guyana continue to occupy low income jobs, so I am not sure that there is any greater 'socioeconomic assertiveness' . The stories I hear seem to be that many women are not going to put up with abuse or violence, not going to stay for 'love' or 'family', and some women have said that they rather be poor outside of the abusive relationship than be poor in one.
Meanwhile,
I hope that MEN would respond to the campaign by Mackeson Stout using images of a promiscuous Konshens to 'be a real man'.
5. What are the underlying causes for the violence?
I know that the tolerance for domestic violence is rooted in belief about man being superior to women. This thing about infidelity.. if every woman had killed her unfaithful man, where would be today? There is another dimension that this is how people solve their problems, cuff up and cuss out and chop up . We should be examining what is going on, and the discuss the linkages with other forms of violence - like how many of us accept beating children in school and home as 'normal'.
6. How do you as advocates address the problem? What can you do?
At Help & Shelter we continue to do public education, advocacy for the implementation of the laws. A group of us in 2008 crafted some actions in a National Domestic Violence Policy which we thought was comprehensive. Sadly it seems that this policy is not being used and not being implemented in any coherent nor is its implementation being monitored.
7. Are the domestic violence laws strong enough?
The DV Act I believe was crafted to allow for civil remedies since many women especially wanted the violence to end rather than the man in jail or the relationship to stop. I might be wrong about this assumption. However, the related laws on sexual offences and assault are sometimes used, though some forms of abuse are not 'illegal'. So the laws should be reviewed.
8. Are they being enforced?
Not always, people have complained of the orders not being enforced with police support. There have been some instances where some men have continued to threaten and I remember one case where the woman was killed when she left court and went back to her new home.
9. How does the system (courts, law enforcement) need to change to
tackle the problem?
Police need to do what we asked them to do in our submission to the Disciplined Services Commission . There are inconsistent responses, and there should not be. About eight weeks ago, a young policeman in Linden asked for training at his police station, and when I saw him this week, he told me he had heard nothing more from the Training school. These things have to be institutionalised in the Guyana Police Force.. they keep shifting around the police who have good track records with domestic violence.
10. Is this a systemic problem or a cultural problem?
After about 15 years being involved with Help & Shelter, you wonder sometimes whether you are doing the right thing given the increase in the murders, but then the question is often asked, what if we did not do any work, what would the situation be like? There is a cultural tolerance for violence - again, I believe that there is a linkage between domestic violence and the tolerance for beating of children at home and in school and unless we deal with the beating of children, we will get nowhere with other forms of domestic violence.
At the same time, the systemic issues which need to change are not moving, eg the need for a consistent and accountable police response. Culturally, I remember reading a story about a case in Essequibo where the villagers excused the man's violence because the woman was unfaithful. I am not sure if they would kill all the unfaithful men in that village. I like Alissa Trotz's analysis
11. How do you change culture?
Culture changes all the time, and for various reasons. One thing I know is that we have definitely changed the culture of silence around domestic violence, in that people are talking in different places which would have been silent 10, 15 years ago. School children do research on domestic violence for their school based assessments, and the media carries more stories of the work being done. Some faith based organisations like the Guyana Conference of Seventh Day Adventists have had public awareness through campaigns. On our website, we have a fatwa written by one Muslim cleric in 2004 - no doubt there needs to be constant interventions and campaigns, but it is not impossible. While I have heard a Pandit say 'a Hindu wife stays with her husband no matter what', I have heard a Swami say 'remember Durga and Kali, you are not only the manifestation of the faithful Sita'
We have to review history, the myths, examine the source of the narratives, let people imagine a different kind of life in which their families do not have violence. Many women of faith believed that it is their faith which encouraged them to leave abusive relationships, so those are the things to look at as well.
12. Do you think chutney music promotes domestic violence? If yes,
should lyrics be censored? Or is there is an alternative to that?
I am not sure about chutney - some other forms of music seem to promote sexual violence. There is this 'thing' about music in which the social commentary irony thing might seem to be promoting, so we have to know from those who hear it whether they think it is being ironic or whether it is meant to be followed. Chutney and liquor are closely related, and there is a whole series of things on chutney and gender.. Radika, lef and gone, why.. , etc.
Censoring of lyrics.. forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest and in this wonderful day and age, with media all over, I can get access to anything which is censored or forbidden.. so, working with artistes, producers, promoters, listeners?
13. What role does alcohol abuse play?
Ah.. alcohol 'abuse', I believe alcohol 'use' is the problem in Guyana, not the abuse. Alcohol seems to intensify the physical violence and its presence
14. Is this a problem that confronting Indo-Guyanese primarily and if
yes, why do you think that is?
Oh no, "indo guyanese' is not homogenous so there are different responses I guess depending on where people live. I have a feeling, though I cannot prove it, that an "indian woman' might take longer to deal with her situation in the current environment, but again, I have no proof. If there is no physical violence, are there other forms of abuse being tolerated?
In the days of the inter-racial violence post 1992, there was this whipping up of 'Indian women will be raped by black men in the streets', we had to point out that in our history an Indian woman and girl was more likely to be beaten, raped, killed by an Indian man than a black man.. and some of the activists said about 'private violence' and 'public violence'.. apparently one is more acceptable than the other.
Changes are slowly happening. The main Indian religious institutions (Hindu, Islam) are talking though one has to listen to ensure that there is no victim blaming (yes it is wrong, but it is your karma and so on, or the need to 'preserve the family'). Another friend who is active at his mandir asked me whether Hindu (Indian?) women/men would prefer to speak to Hindu(Indian?) people - who knows?, because in the early days they did not since it was felt that speaking out was betrayal and many preferred not to speak out to people from their 'group'. The fact that he is talking though, is good. Would not have happened 10 years ago.
One large Hindu organisation which we had approached in the early days, did not even acknowledge our letter, kept saying to me 'we are discussing this at the committee level'' - last year at their main cultural show, they had a skit about domestic violence!
There is a lot more work to be done. The questions should always be asked as a way of checking to see what the response is needed. Things are changing globally as it relates to domestic violence, but still, it remains the most pervasive form of gender based violence.
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