Six candles in the seawall breeze..

Six candles 

There were six candles on the table. Each one had the names of the women and girls who died after experiencing violence from men who knew them. One candle for each of :

• 13 year old Millie Miguel
• 16 year old Janelly David
• 64 year old Parbhudai Boodram
• 40 year old Shameeza Mohammed
• 27 year old Kenesha Vaughn

As sun went down, the organisers lit the candles on the table while others who came to keep the vigil used some of the battery operated lights. 

I could not hold any more candles or lights. I could not wear the purple ribbon. 

Many of the people at the vigil looked young, probably even born when Guyana passed the Domestic Violence Act in 1996. In November 2024, after the Red Shoe event, I had written about not wanting to look at the red shoes thinking of the other shoes which would be added.

13 year old Millie Miguel was supposed to be protected by the Child Protection Act and other mechanisms. Adults made the reports but the State failed her. 

Janelly David and Kenesha Vaughn were born after Guyana  passed the Domestic Violence Act and we thought our generation would be ending violence against women. But the Government this year said they hoped that femicides would be 10 instead of 14 last year.

Oluatoyin Alleyne wrote in Stabroek News about the violence which continues after the woman is killed.

 Seawall breeze

 A group of citizens concerned about gender-based violence, including the Breadfruit Collective, organised a vigil on the Kingston Seawalls on Tuesday 4th March, 2025. Nice breeze, waves.. sun going down and crescent moon rising.

Different speakers talked about the experience of violence, the need for accountability, the help available (and not available).  Some people were coming for the first time to a vigil against gender-based violence - one woman said she came because she was horrified at the victim blaming which was going on after the reports of the deaths. One man spoke about witnessing male violence against women as a child, and condemning the violence. Another man said men need to do introspection that they 'need help'. A woman said , yeah women hurt too but women not going around killing and beating at the same rate as men.

"What is the Ministry [of Human Services] doing, are they here?  a woman asked..  

 Christine Samwaroo of the Breadfruit Collective talked of the importance of community in responding to gender-based violence.  

Another woman, a man and I talked a  bit more about that in the breeze, that this is not only about individual women and girls 'leffin' de man, or 'getting help;' but also community working on fixing and healing so that the violence stops. And that perpetrators of the violence are accountable and also heal as part of getting justice.

And so even as the seawall is a good place for vigils, for remembering and mourning, it could also be one of the places to start planning and thinking of how to sustain the community which will heal from and end the violence.