Sexual assault awareness

GUYANA is observing ‘Sexual Awareness Week’ from April 24th to 30th under the theme: “Engaging New Voices to End Sexual Violence,” with the Ministry of Social Protection highlighting sexual assault as “one of the most pervasive violations of human rights.”
The message is that sexual assault must not be viewed as “a dirty little secret, a taboo,” since it really is a violation of one’s inherent dignity and it’s about power and control, not about sex. The ministry in a full-page newspaper advertisement declared that “the time for complacency and the shrouded culture of silence has long passed and belongs to another era. The silence on sexual assault against women, men and children must be broken; it is time for stronger action.”

Moreover, the ministry has reaffirmed its commitment “to shift and functionally transform attitudes that permit sexual assault to be hidden in a culture of silence (that) permits such a crime to go unpunished.” In a timely, rallying call, the Social Protection Ministry said further that “together, as a nation we must stand united and speak up to change the culture that questions the actions of victims, rather than those of the perpetrators.”
Media operatives, therefore, have an invaluable role to play by the way they report stories about sexual assault, so that they do not indulge in any shade of ‘victim-blaming.’ The media must focus on seeking to influence change in attitudes and behaviours across the community that condone or excuse sexual assault in any of its heinous manifestations–non-consensual sexual behaviour such as rape or sexual assault, psychological forms of abuse such as sexual harassment, human trafficking and indecent exposure, the use of a position of trust for sexual purposes, which includes some forms of paedophilia and pederasty and incest.

The ministry, in a comprehensive and multi-pronged strategic intervention, involving a cross-section of governmental agencies as well as civil society, has formulated a coordinated mechanism through the National Task Force for the Prevention of Sexual Violence. Moreover, protocols for medical practitioners, police officers and prosecutors have been developed and training programmes are said to be currently ongoing.

However, civil society and the media must take the responsibility of systematically monitoring whether these protocols are being effectively followed when victims are in need of timely intervention and support, and to speak out whenever there are violations or shortcomings. In seeking to bring about the necessary behavioural changes, a number of prevailing myths must be methodically debunked. Rape and sexual assault are crimes of violence and control that stem from a person’s determination to exercise power over another and neither provocative dress nor promiscuous behaviours are invitations for unwanted sexual activity.

Even if a person went voluntarily to someone’s residence or room and consented to engage in some sexual activity, it does not serve as a blanket consent for all sexual activity. If a person is unsure about whether the other person is comfortable with an elevated level of sexual activity, the person should stop and ask. When someone says “No” or “Stop”, that means STOP. In reality, a victim may not always put up a fight or resist, as there are many reasons why a victim of sexual assault would not fight or resist the attacker. She/he may feel that fighting or resisting will make her/his attacker angry, resulting in more severe injury and may not resist as a coping mechanism for dealing with the trauma of being sexually assaulted. In many cases of sexual assault, a weapon is not involved and the offender often uses physical strength, physical violence, intimidation, threats, or a combination of these tactics to overpower the victim.

The unresolved experiences of sexual assault can have long-term psychological and social effects, and other effects of the trauma include changes in how victims view trust, anger and blame, shock, loss of control, a sense of vulnerability, fear, self-blame or guilt for ‘allowing’ the crime to happen. Beyond these effects, being assaulted can also have impacts that are less tangible.
The ministry put it this way: “Sexual assault has tremendous costs to communities, and our nation as a whole. If left unaddressed, these human rights violations pose serious consequences for current and future generations. It undermines the health, dignity, security and autonomy of its victims. Victims of sexual assault can suffer sexual and reproductive health consequences, including forced and unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions and sexually transmitted infections including HIV, and even death.”

Our observance of Sexual Awareness Week should be seen as a call to action for everyone. Although the subject of sexual assault is a difficult subject for many people to talk about, this observance is a means of raising awareness so that people not only begin to think about the implications, but they could start doing something about it as well.
You can help to raise the national awareness of sexual violence simply by educating yourself and your family about the issues. You may even explore other ways in which you can personally get involved in the fight to raise awareness and prevent sexual violence in your community. You can also leverage social media for the greater good and speak for those who do not have a voice or are not able to express it.

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