Vernon Khelawan
I did not see the video, but I saw the photograph in the newspaper–woman tied around the waist with a length of rope and being led by a man. I could not believe this happened in this land which is often referred to as "paradise."
But it did remind me of a calypso of the 70s by King Solomon who sang:
"Santa take a big man from St James and tie him like a cow up in Morvant. Sun and rain wetting the man and he cyar get away poor fella."
At the time, that song was funny and caused many a calypso aficionado to laugh heartily. Today, some 40 years later, it has actually happened in our T&T, where it is alleged that a dispute over the theft of produce from a garden ended up with the woman in such a humiliating situation.
Talk had hardly died down on this issue when the country was again bombarded in social media with debilitating photos of a fire officer allegedly involved in a pornographic sexual video. But that was not all, there are three or four current cases involving police officers allegedly connected with incidents of rape and/or sexual abuse. But more than that, a report earlier this week alleges some sort of sexual misconduct involving teenagers in a swimming pool.
Fifteen years into a new millennium and our politicians and some of us love to describe our country as "mature and developed." Some even dare to say we are first world, but these situations unfortunately fit none of these descriptions.
Something must be radically wrong here. We have become a country in which women become less than second-class citizens. Human trafficking, especially for the sex trade, is growing bigger every week. And all we hear from our leaders are nonsensical rhetoric, but no action.
Maybe the population has not yet realised what is happening. Our girl children are not safe, our women are fearful of bandits, rapists and other predators while society leaders, private and public pay great attention to their bank account, taking no account of the malevolence around them.
Or maybe the country did not listen well enough to Singing Sandra when she sang Sexy Employers, but more commonly known as I'll Die with my Dignity, in 1987. The song was a strong warning for women to be wary of the people with whom they worked, particularly their bosses.
Twenty-eight years later, the song is even more valid than it was then, since the lyrics still prevail: "You can keep your money, I'll keep my honey and die with my dignity."
How useful is the observance of The United Nations International Women's Day, when we have women in T&T being humiliated and abused in large numbers, in their homes, their workplaces and even at recreation or leisure time. Now is the time for the various women's organisations and NGOs to stand up for the women of T&T.
There is need to take this issue much further in an effort to arrest this growing trend. When Sandra sang her song back then, the situation was bad. Today it is much worse since it impacts on teenagers to grannies.
Parents are being called upon to pay attention to their children. Teachers, while they are not substitute parents, are in some way responsible for teaching the children more than just math and English. And the church, it is incumbent on the religious leaders to work closely with parents and teachers to achieve a better society.
Vernon Khelawan is media relations officer of Catholic Media Services Ltd (Camsel), the official communications arms of the Archdiocese of Port-of-Spain. Its offices are located at 31 Independence Square. Telephone: 623-7620.