“[…] Delicate pink or white lace accentuates the dress. Gossamer veils cascade from oversized hats or bonnets tied beneath the chin by a silky ribbon. Supple white gloves, a veil or mask, sheer stockings, and, on the feet, tightly laced Mary Janes—if you own a pair. A doll with rosebud …
Read More »Noble: Impossible demands of men and condoned cruelty against women—domestic violence’s toxic mix
Nobody goes on a second date if, on the first one, they got slapped around. The woman (it is more often a woman) does not realise that they are in an abusive relationship until it is late. The abuser sets the honey trap, seducing the unsuspecting victim into believing that …
Read More »Domestic violence: When little boys ask big questions
“[…] How do I explain to my son that he lives in a world where the home is considered the most dangerous place for women, with the majority of female homicide victims worldwide being killed by partners or family? “[…] If we are to end violence against women, we must …
Read More »PLOTT: ‘More aggressive and holistic approach’ needed to address violence against women and children
“[…] While we recognise the gains made with amendments to The Domestic Violence Act and the establishment of a Gender-based Violence Unit in the TTPS, the continuing scourge of violence against women and children requires a more aggressive and holistic approach from those in authority. “We are reminded that the …
Read More »Vaneisa: Parallels and extremes—how we view domestic violence
I shouldn’t have been surprised by the volume of responses to my last column on domestic violence and sexual abuse. They are obviously prevalent though we can only guess at the extent. Yet it takes a lot of courage for victims to speak out. It isn’t just the accompanying shame …
Read More »Vaneisa: One hundred years of abuse; addressing that dirty ‘family secret’
She was born into a Muslim family in 1910, growing up in a compound surrounded by relatives. She would have been around 17 when she was married off and sent to live far away from home. Her chosen husband was cruel, miserly and violent. To deny her direct access to …
Read More »Gender-based violence ‘increased by 500%’ during Covid lockdown, but the T&T public can help…
“[…] In all the instances that we have dealt with as an organisation, they go back home to the situation. It is a cycle. It goes round and round…” In the following guest column, Groots T&T founder Delores Robinson speaks to journalist Robert Clarke: Delores Robinson took a late-night call. …
Read More »Noble: Our young men can change, if we try—addressing domestic violence
The police commissioner, in April 2020, estimated that domestic violence reports would double this year (232 in 2019 to 558 in 2020). This is consistent with what the UN calls the ‘shadow pandemic’—a global increase in domestic violence amid the Covid-19 health crisis. ‘How do you reach out for help …
Read More »Dear editor: Gender-based violence is a ‘shadow pandemic’ in T&T; we need attitudinal change
“[…] Attitudinal and behavioural changes won’t happen by vaps. We have serious work to do. For example, we must address the need for values/conscience formation and citizenship programmes—at home, in our educational institutions, in our faith communities, in our workplaces etc…” The following is a press statement from the Catholic …
Read More »Daly Bread: Grow room of topics; the bad news never ends in T&T
Trinidad and Tobago lives on nervous energy. We are constantly rattled and are set talking, messaging and posting, prompted by extraordinary and usually negative events. At times, things happen so quickly that another event erupts into the headlines before the shock and full implications of an earlier one can be …
Read More »Noble: Terrorising our women; stop minimising the cruelty and torture of domestic abuse
The labels ‘domestic abuse’ or even ‘intimate partner abuse’ do not capture the terror experienced by our women. The media has, this week, creditably stepped up in their responses. The Guardian led with a front-page editorial and, commendably, the Express put male leaders on the spot to state their position. …
Read More »Noble: Run for your life!: Why domestic violence should be a high priority
John Lennon, the Beatle, in 1965, wrote these haunting lyrics: “You better run for your life if you can, little girl / Hide your head in the sand, little girl / Catch you with another man / That’s the end, little girl / Well, you know that I’m a wicked …
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