Activists against violence reaching out
Too many people are unaware of the various types of violence and the ways abuse victims can seek help and that is why the National Organisation of Women (NOW) and other non-governmental organisations are attempting to do more community engagement.
President of NOW, Melissa Savoury-Gittens, made that point yesterday at The Walk, St Thomas, during the NOW on the MOVE motorcade.
“Sometimes people don’t realise that there is more than one type of violence. People just think of physical or domestic violence, but there are other types and mental abuse.
“And too many times we sit back and we ask people to come to us to get help, but today we are in the community meeting people where they’re at to try to give them the help that they need,” Savoury-Gittens said.
The motorcade was held under the theme Movement Opposing Violent Endings (MOVE), as one of NOW’s 16 Days of Activism events.
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is a global campaign led annually by UN Women, beginning on November 25.
Although the event fell within that period, Savoury-Gittens made it clear their work continued.
“The 16 Days of Activism is a global initiative, however, this work goes beyond 16 days, but since this is an especially heightened time, we get the chance to push the message even harder and even stronger. Our goal is to educate and sensitise members of the public about avenues where they can seek help,” she said.
Members of the National Council on Substance Abuse, Barbados Family Planning, Barbados Business and Professional Women’s Club, Women of Purpose and Men Empowerment Network Support (MENS) also participated in the motorcade, providing information about the housing, counselling and other services they offer.
Around 9 a.m. the motorcade left Warrens, St Michael,
and travelled by bus to Welches, St Thomas, Holetown, St James and Hayman’s Market in St Peter before its expected culmination at Speightstown.
Founder and president of MENS, Fabian Sargeant, who participated in the motorcade, said the involvement of men was critical to reducing gender-based violence.
“Traditionally, we don’t see a lot of men rallying behind this cause and we want to increase that. We want men to understand that we have a role within society and our families.
“We must support this cause because research shows that men are the main perpetrators of especially physical violence. And if we are supposed to wrestle this to the ground and eliminate these challenges within our social environment, we men need to step up to the plate and be a part of it,” Sargeant said.
He pointed out that men were also victims of abuse.
“Men are also victims of violence as well, so we are also here to build advocacy and get people to understand that this is a human issue and not necessarily a woman’s or men’s issue. We need to work together.
“If we are going to be empowered, we as women and men, we have to work together. We all want the same thing. We want happy families. We want happy relationships. We want to be able to exist in a peaceful environment and the only way to do that is if we learn how to coexist together in a wholesome, healthy way without any form of violence,” he added.
(TG)
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