– First Lady Sandra Granger says as she addresses the issue of domestic violence
FIRST Lady Sandra Granger said it is time to get to the root causes of domestic violence in Guyana, stating that too many women are being killed by those who vowed to love and respect them.
The First Lady sat down for an interview with the Ministry of the Presidency on Tuesday, days after two East Coast Demerara (ECD) women – Vinnette Headley-James and Shemain Frank – were attacked and killed by their loved ones.
Domestic Violence, which encompasses verbal and psychological abuse among others, remains a major problem for Guyana, and it is the belief of the First Lady that there should be programmes or systems in place that address the root causes of domestic violence.
While acknowledging that women can be perpetrators of domestic or interpersonal violence, Mrs. Granger said the numbers show that to a larger extent, women are often the victims.
“Are the egos of our males so stunted, they cannot accept that a woman decides. I don’t think I want to go with you anymore or if she answers him back, he can decide that this is not, quote “respectful to him,” the First Lady opined.
Mrs. Granger, in analysing the issue, said the manner in which children are socialised is a contributing factor, explaining that as they grow, they replicate what they see.
She proposed that Human and Family Life Education start from nursery school.
“If we start with age-appropriate language at the nursery level, explaining these are boys, these are girls, this is how boys respond to threats, this is how girls respond to threats, so you don’t have this image which is also perpetrated in our advertising and some of [our]shows of this muscle macho man, proving his strength and his power wherever he goes, that we can have an equally power male who doesn’t have to lift a finger and who doesn’t have to shout and be abusive to prove he is a man,” the First Lady explained.
Mrs. Granger also underscored the importance of teaching women and girls the importance of appreciating and valuing themselves.
“We also have to train our girls and our women that they are not there to be the pounding boards of whomever they are going with at the time, they don’t have to accept the abuse, it is not their role in life to be beaten or disrespected in any way,” she said.
Addressing the financial challenges facing women is of significant importance, the First Lady observed that many women remain in abusive relationships because their male partners are the source of their finance.
Noting that perpetrators of domestic violence are often controlling, Mrs Granger made it clear that that is not love but rather thirst after power and dominance. She also wants the laws to be strengthened to ensure that every case of domestic violence is fully investigated and placed before the courts.
“If a case is reported, regardless of what comes after, regardless of whatever compensation the perpetrator or his family might pay to the victim and her family, the case must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Mrs. Granger posited.
That aside, the First Lady called on Guyanese to be more responsible and caring in their actions, noting that help should be sought once domestic violence is detected.
“What also is causing all of the neighbours to sit around or stand around and either be entertained by the woman being beaten or abused or just keep quiet because it is not their business?” Mrs. Granger asked.
