Women and Children in Peril in Jamaica
Women and children in the Jamaican society are experiencing one of the most horrifying and painful crisis . The number of murders of women and children and the spiraling incidence of rape and abduction have sent women and children cowering in fear.The tears have barely dried on our cheeks that another gruesome murder rips us apart once more.
What are the forces behind all this? Many experts have focussed their attention on the issue of violence against women and children and are baffled by this phenomenon. What has triggered this spate of violence against our women and children? We are left to ponder and worry.
In the Jamaican society women are the pivotal force that keeps the family going. Women play the role of mother and father. They are the ones who shoulder the responsibilty and the burden of raising children left behind by careless and uncaring fathers.
Grandmothers women of great courage stand in the gap when mothers migrate or face severe difficulties.
Women are the backbones of small businesses that provide important services and inject a great financial input in the economy.
In hospitals,clinics and other institutions that provide care it is again our women who make up the bulk of the staff employed to render such services.
In our schools ,again women out number men and are the ones who choose to impart knowledge to our children.
Looking at the role of women in the society one would think that our women would get the respect and the protection they need and deserve. Instead, they are violated and brutally murdered together with our children.
This is a phenomenon that could have very serious politial repercussions. It is a destabilising force that has put the government under great pressure to bring safety and peace in the society.The government ,the opposition, the church and many organisations have focussed their attention on this crisis and have been unable to find measures capable of stemming the flow of this heinous wave of murders, abductions and rapes.
When one looks at the statistics that state that 56 children and 122 women have been murdered to date, that 356cases of rape and 57 cases of abduction have taken place to date one cannot help but think of this society as being in a serious state of chaos.We cannot call this situation” a civil war” but we must admit that this is a state of affairs akin to civil war.The majority of the population is under siege, cringing in fear, prisonners of an unknown enenemy but none too real. The fences are being built higher, security guards are hired to protect sporting uniforms and dark glasses reminiscent of “tonton macoutes”;women are afraid to go about their daily activities and children are traumatised, their life disrupted, devoid of the stability and carefree elements of childhood.
The government owes it to the nation to restore peace at all cost.Drastic measures should be taken to ensure the safety of all citizens.
In a previous article dealing with the protection of our children I suggested a change in the law that would enforce parental responsibility and accountability.Parents are responsible for the safety and protection of their chidren not the government.The government takes care of children at risk who are in need of care and protection. Parents should provide a” safety zone” for their children.A” safety zone” could be a neighbour’s house, a baby sitter’s house, the house of a trusted church sister or a trusted relative. Should parents fail to provide that” safety zone” then these parents would be deemed guilty of neglect and face the consequences should any harm befall their children.Too many children are left to roam the streets exposed to all sorts of dangers and too often are victims of the predators who lurked in almost every community.
Children found loitering after school should be cautioned and later on apprehended if found on the streets again.Their parents should be found and made to face the consequences.The time has come for the government to form parents to be responsible for the safety and protection of their children.Parents who are found careless and irresponsible will have to attend parenting classes in order to understand their role as parents and learn what the society expects of them as parents.All sorts of “alert system “ are being put in place but the fact remains that the primary source of protection should be the parents or the guardians.Parents should learn to set boundaries for their children such a task is not the responsibility of the government.
In this time of crisis I would suggest that a “children patrol”be instituted. Officers sensitised about matters and laws relating to children should be dispatched to patrol areas where children are seen loitering after school and during school hours. The shopping centers, the lanes, the street corners,the main transport areas,the bus stops in school areas where children and young people are seen loitering should be patrolled. These patrol cars with a totally different appearence from the regular police cars will signal to the children that help will be provided if it is needed and also will remind them that they ought not to be on the streets.These officers will be able to answer emergency calls pertaining to children and young people.When they are not in school children should be in the “safety zones” provided by their parents and certainly not on the streets.
Another measure that would provide extra security to our children is the removal from the school areas of all vendors. Very unfortunately some vendors are unscrupulous and sell drugs and pornographic materials to the students. “The good have to suffer for the bad” so all vendors should be removed from the school environment.
All agencies that deal with young people whether in the fashion industry or in social services should be scrutinised by the government . Many associations in communities all over the island use our children to commit serious forms of child abuse. The law should be very strict and not allow such associations to flourish. Regular probing and observation of so called “ministry for children ” should take place and licences revoked where it is deemed necessary.
Finally every constituency should have a centre where children and young people can go to do their homework and socialise under adult supervision. It will not be very difficult to find a woman and a mature man who could supervise the activities of children and young people.This provision would certainly keep our children and young people off the streets and teach them that there are boundaries to be respected.
I admit that these are very dark days both for our women and children but at the end of the dark days in the valley we as a people will see brighter days when the Jamaican society will experience once more peace and stability.God is able.
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