Generation Equality aims to end rape Garifuna celebrations
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Caribbean Life, N B OVEMBER 22-28, 2019 11
sexual assault, and they have
to cope with an unwarranted
sense of shame. The result of
these aspects is a stifling of
women’s voices around rape,
significant under-reporting and
continuing impunity for perpetrators.
Research shows that only
a small fraction of adolescent
girls who experience forced sex
seek professional help. And less
than 10 percent of women who
did seek help after experiencing
violence contacted the police.
One positive step to increase
accountability is to make rape
universally illegal. Currently
more than half of all countries
do not yet have laws that explicitly
criminalize marital rape or
that are based on the principle
of consent.
Along with criminalizing
rape, we need to get much,
much better at putting the victim
at the centre of response
and holding rapists to account.
This means strengthening the
capacity of law enforcement
officials to investigate these
crimes and supporting survivors
through the criminal justice
process, with access to legal
aid, police and justice services
as well as health and social services,
especially for women who
are most marginalized.
Having more women in
police forces and training them
adequately is a crucial first step
in ensuring that survivors begin
to trust again and feel that their
complaint is being taken seriously
at every stage of what can
be a complex process.
Progress also requires that
we successfully tackle the many
institutional and structural barriers,
patriarchal systems and
negative stereotyping around
gender that exist in security,
police and judicial institutions,
as they do in other institutions.
Those who use rape as a
weapon know just how powerfully
it traumatizes and how it
suppresses voice and agency.
This is an intolerable cost to
society. No further generations
must struggle to cope with a
legacy of violation.
We are Generation Equality
and we will end rape!
Continued from Page 10
by the respective organizations
to assess their successes
and failures. If we do not
take this action now, we will
continue to celebrate the day
while our people have nothing
worthwhile to celebrate
for. Economically the 19th of
November Celebrations bring
in a lot of money to these
towns and cities and many
people benefit from it. Most
of the people that are benefitting
from these celebrations,
are not our people because
we are mostly consumers and
do not own the businesses we
just become spenders to make
them more wealthy.
With our innovative minds,
we have the brains to devise
ways and means to benefit
financially from our celebrations.
A good idea would be, to
establish a permanent Cultural
Village in all of our communities.
Where people can come
daily to see various aspects
of our culture being displayed
such as; arts, crafts, dances,
storytelling, a museum, drums
playing, music etc. not only
will this generate money but
it will also provide some of our
people with employment.
Every year I make it my
business to contribute an article
in regards to our Nov. 19
Celebrations in Belize. I am
not against the celebrations
but I regret that it is not being
used for more meaningful
purposes to reflect on ourselves
as a nation of people. I
hope and pray that this year
and subsequent years to come,
that we make this one of our
main focus.
Continued from Page 10
OP-EDS
UN Women
With our innovative
minds, we have
the brains to
devise ways and
means to benefit
financially from
our celebrations. A
good idea would
be, to establish a
permanent Cultural
Village in all of our
communities.
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