Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is adding his voice to growing calls for an end to the spate of domestic violence in the country. Yesterday, from his position as “Prime minister, father, grandfather,” he appealed to the nation’s men not to give way to emotional violence.
In a media late yesterday, Dr Rowley acknowledged with “great sadness” media reports that three women, and a total of five persons, had been murdered in the past two weeks, as a result of domestic violence. He expressed his “sincere deepest condolences to the victims’ families, their friends and acquaintances.”
He said he understood the importance and value of women in society and the roles they play in building healthy and resilient communities in a developing nation. He added that as a nation we all “must understand that the scourge of domestic violence and all other forms of gender-based violence erodes the fabric of society, and infringes upon the human rights of another individual.”
The PM appealed to all men “to treat all women like the sisters, daughters and mothers who are deserving of our love and respect.”
He said, “As men, we must acknowledge that at times, the end of a relationship can be an emotionally difficult period for all its participants. But regardless of that difficulty and trauma, we must at all times, hold ourselves responsible and accountable in our behaviour.”
He urged men to be strong and to honour “happy memories, by walking away without the threat of physical or emotional violence.”
Dr Rowley also announced that the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has been working diligently to ensure acts of domestic violence and all forms of gender-based violence are reduced significantly or eliminated. To achieve this, the Gender Affairs Division is developing projects and programmes to address gender-based violence and build mutual respect between men and women, he said.
Dr Rowley explained that the Central Registry on Domestic Violence is a data collection system which assists in strengthening current surveillance systems for the development of targeted intervention strategies on domestic violence. Based on information gathered through the Registry, the OPM is focusing on plans and initiatives to build mutual respect among men and women and to encourage the appropriate modification of behaviour.
These include a three-pronged approach: A Community Based Action Plan to end Gender-Based Violence which focuses on reducing violence against women and girls in communities and providing help to potential perpetrators; amendments to the Domestic Violence Act to provide greater protection for victims; and the creation of safe places, with the necessary services for victims of violence, both male, female and children.
Dr Rowley urged members of the public who have either been victims of or who know someone who may be a victim of domestic violence to call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-SAVE (7283) to report any incidents.
The 24-hour hotline provides counselling services, crisis intervention and referrals to appropriate agencies such as the T&T Police Service, the Victim and Support Unit of the TTPS, the National Family Services, the Children’s Authority of T&T, Lifeline or the Rape Crisis Society. Referrals can also be made for directing the victim to a place of safety or shelter.
Dr Rowley said it is his hope that working together towards the goal of gender equality, everything will be done to one day eradicate the scourge of domestic violence which is so harmful to women, families, communities and society.