Given the recent spate of murders arising out of domestic disputes, chairperson of the Women and Gender Equality Commission, Indra Chandarpal said that issues relating to domestic violence are multifaceted, and as such, requires a multidimensional approach in crafting a solution.
In a recent interview with Guyana Times International, Chandarpal said a resocialisation of Guyanese is needed to address the problem, and noted that while Guyana has come a far way, there is still work to be done.
She has proposed public service announcements utilising male domestic violence ambassadors at public events and other fora.
“We are seeking to do lots of public service announcements. Hopefully, we can also get some of the ambassadors as well. We are also seeking help to get some community counselling centres if all goes well, because it’s dependent on financial availability. I don’t know if we would be able to do all the things we have planned, but I believe in partnerships.”
According to Chandarpal, the Women and Gender Equality Commission is partnering with the international community and United Nations (UN) agencies to achieve its objectives.
On July 20, the commission will undertake a conference on unwaged work to allow males and females to appreciate the contribution of work done in and around the home.
The commission has also scheduled and has started outreaches in Regions 10 and Three, and is gearing up to meet women in the other eight regions to gauge the mood of womenfolk as it relates to domestic violence.
Indra Chandarpal
“We have an understanding about what the problems are because the problems are more or less existing everywhere, but what we intend to find out is information such as the response of the police, whether the legal aid system is functional and accessible, and what they would like to see happen in their area,” Chandarpal said.
The commission will process and analyse the information, make recommendations to Parliament through its annual report, and suggest to government the application of best practices to the local situation. The Women and Gender Equality Commission has a wide mandate including informing policy decision, conducting research and promoting awareness of relevant issues.
Chandarpal said that while speaking to the issue of domestic violence, society must consider the situation with male children, and trends in today’s society affecting them.
“The thing that we need to talk about is the role of our sons. What is happening to our sons? The boy child of today will be the husband of tomorrow, and if he’s not nurtured, if he’s not guided and his self-esteem is shattered, what can we expect?”
Chandarpal denounced the syndrome of “getting rich quickly”, and the local gold rush which has overtaken Guyanese men.
“The culture today is quick money. So we have a role to play – even as we speak on domestic violence against women, we need to look at the impact of all these things on the men,” the gender activist said. However, she stated that Guyana has come a far way where the empowerment of women is concerned.
“When the Women’s Progressive Organisation was formed, one of the key objectives was to educate the girl child and today, I’m happy to state that the girl child is well-educated.”
She said that traditionally, a lot of women have not been gainfully employed, did not have well-paid jobs and were not educated. Chandarpal explained that due to the changing status quo of women, men are placed under tremendous pressure, especially if the woman has superior earning power.
She also raised the issue of access to justice, and explained that in addition to retraining and strengthening institutions of enforcement, the wheels of justice and the jury system is lacking. Chandarpal stressed that when women are violated and do not have speedy access to justice to ensure perpetrators are dealt with, the situation will continue.
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