IT is most disturbing but somehow seems to be prevalent that women have become the battlefield for men.

It truly sickens my stomach to the point where it is tied in knots when I open the newspapers and is greeted by gruesome and hideous headlines of women being fatally brutalised and murdered by the hands of the partner. In most cases the abusive behaviour stems from constant use of alcohol and drugs. While it might not be surprising to some, because of the background, the target group seems to be present among the East Indians. The most recent incident was the “Radica” story carried in the Stabroek News (Tuesday, June 23, 2009).

Coming down from a generation to another, the second of which still maintains the” I must love and accept what my husband does to me” attitude despite the age we live in. Women have long suffered at the hands of their partners and I truly believe that this should stop. Women are not punching bags or inanimate objects that men can just hammer. They have flesh and bones and feelings just like the men who inflict the wounds on them. And in my view that once a man hits you and you accept it and do not react, he will continue to do so. Women should not be battered regardless what circumstances are.

A man would not hit his mother because she told him not to do something, or restrict him so why then why should he do so to another woman? The Ministry of Human Services has embarked upon a remarkable campaign on Violence against Women and Child Care Protection and while I support these initiatives, I urge them to urgently review and intervene in situations where both women and children are in ‘dire’ conditions.

At this point, I feel the need to offer a suggestion to the relevant authorities and hope that serious thought would be given towards the implementation and execution of the same. When the abuser is intercepted and taken into police custody, a psychiatric evaluation should be conducted to assess the mental and emotional state and stability of the individual and further evaluations done over a period of time.

I really feel that this would assist in understanding the situation since an assessment would guide the Police and Social Workers to find the correct solution in resolving these grave issues.

Resulting from other articles covered on domestic abuse, victims state that when reports are made to the police, they are told to come back and there is nothing the police can do. I can recall one woman saying that the police will only take the matter seriously after her abuser kills her. Our law enforcers need to be more sensitive to domestic violence complains. Every complaint made should be created as urgent and should be looked into. We live in a third world country but they are other third world countries than are poorer and have better law enforcement. Everyone is trying to get ahead, shouldn’t we?

n closing I urge my fellow women to stand up to abuse. Stop it before it starts. You are beautiful and deserve the best that life offers you. If you are being abused, it is nothing to be ashamed of, contact the nearest police station or the Help and Shelter organization at 225-4731,227-3454 or 231-7249. Help is out there. You just need to reach out and be willing to accept it. Do not be afraid and unwilling to save your life. Your life, is your own, choose to live and end abuse. God gave life to you and only he is allowed to take it back.

If you or someone you know is being abused, contact the nearest police station or the number mentioned above and get help. You might just save a life and that life might be your own.
Mrs. S. BHOLA