Dear editor: ‘As a mother, I’m paralysed with fear; as a woman, I’m filled with tremendous anxiety’

“[…] As a woman, I am filled with tremendous anxiety. I am fiercely independent, but I feel that independence disappearing—as I constantly have to adjust my movements to try and ensure my safety…”

The following Letter to the Editor was submitted to Wired868 by an anonymous contributor, under the pen name ‘Frost in May’:

Photo: Andrea Bharatt, 23, went missing on 29 January 2021. Her body was found in the Heights of Aripo on 4 February 2021.

I feel sick. Like so many people today, I am overcome with pain. Another woman, daughter, friend, niece, cousin was snatched and brutally murdered. 

As a mother, I feel paralysed with fear. Fear that I can’t let my daughter out of my sight, for even a minute. As a woman, I am filled with tremendous anxiety. I am fiercely independent, but I feel that independence disappearing—as I constantly have to adjust my movements to try and ensure my safety. 

Andrea [Bharatt] will not be the last. We will mourn again. We will keep mourning until women demand more for themselves. We will keep mourning until mothers realise just how much power they have in moulding their sons. 

We will keep mourning until women start choosing partners that can uplift them. Women have to change, for men to change.

I just feel so heavy and overwhelmed with grief. Andrea, Ashanti, Sharday… They could be me.

More from Wired868
Dear Editor: The 2026 Budget ignores the elephant in the room: the US-Venezuela conflict!

“[…] While the government has made much of fiscal consolidation and social spending, it has left precious little fiscal or Read more

Dear Editor: Promises kept, lives changed: The 2026 Budget delivers

“[…] Yes, the tone of the budget is firm and unapologetic. It calls out past failures and demands accountability. Some Read more

Dear Editor: Diversification, not the Dragon, is key for T&T’s economic survival—but here’s why it has eluded us

“[…] The Ministry of Finance website provides budget statements from 2002 onwards. Diversification is mentioned in each budget statement. All Read more

Dear Editor: How incompetence of T&TEC—and other essential services—impoverishes T&T

“[…] The frustration in Greenvale, however, runs deeper than a single Sunday blackout. The community already feels utterly abandoned. The Read more

Dear Editor: “Evidence-based decision-making” can transform T&T from “underachievers’ paradise”

“[…] Now, Trinidad and Tobago is a shadow of its former self, undermined by a lack of innovative leadership, perceived Read more

Dear Editor: Jack Warner’s extradition “freedom” is a mirage—ex-FIFA VP still can’t travel

“[…] At first glance, this might sound like the end of Jack Warner’s ordeal. If the court sets him free, Read more

Check Also

Dear Editor: The 2026 Budget ignores the elephant in the room: the US-Venezuela conflict!

“[…] While the government has made much of fiscal consolidation and social spending, it has …

One comment

  1. Why must women bear a disproportionate share of the burden?Why are so many young men suffering from ‘father hunger”. Where are the fathers who are supposed to be nurturing their sons?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.