Women and Domestic Violence
Thursday, February 2, 2006
Women have come a long way in The Bahamas since the days when "keep-them-barefooted-and-pregnant" generally was not considered to be a chauvinistic statement. Indeed, four decades or so ago, the vast majority of married women in the country "worked" as housewives, and they were content with being totally subservient to their husbands, who were considered to be the breadwinners in the family.
Their primary job was to ensure that the children were taken care of properly, the house was kept clean, clothes were washed and ironed, and food was cooked and ready for consumption when the "breadwinner" got home from work.
Those women who were ambitious enough to think beyond just being housewives generally ended up pursuing careers primarily as teachers or nurses. A career as a lawyer or medical doctor was simply considered to be beyond the realm of possibility for them.
It was not until 1962, when women voted for the first time in a general election, that the doors were opened to some professions that were once considered — in The Bahamas at least — to be reserved for men only, politics included.
With this newly established "equality," women wasted no time in closing the gender discrimination gap, and today they have established themselves as well respected, competent and capable practitioners in virtually every professional area that was once dominated by men.
Despite all these advancements, however, in a physical sense women are still considered to be the weaker sex and are predominantly the victims whenever domestic violence occurs in a household.
The astronomical increase in divorces in the country since the days when women were content to be housewives underscores the fact that professional women, for the most part, do not put up with abuse of any kind – mental, verbal or physical – from their husbands.
But there are some women who suffer in silence and endure the physical abuse meted out to them by their husbands or significant others, either for economic reasons or fear that the abuse would become more pervasive if they seek help and their lives could be endangered.
It is for these women that a forum held on Monday night at the Pro-Cathedral of Christ The King was so very important. Sponsored by the Grand Bahama Crisis Centre and the Marco City Urban Renewal programme, the well attended meeting, hopefully, was indicative that the message the Crisis Centre, headed by Dr. Jean Turnquest-Brown, has been preaching since its establishment in November of 1997 has taken root.
The crux of the message is that help is available from the Crisis Centre and no abused woman need suffer or condone being abused. As Dr. Turnquest-Brown states: "As we speak out against domestic violence, we are empowered, able to exercise our rights and better protect ourselves. As a result, we can defuse violence in the home and ultimately achieve a reduction in the rate of those murders associated with domestic violence."
The Crisis Centre is to be congratulated for this ongoing, invaluable service to the Grand Bahama community.
Copyright © 2006 The Nassau Guardian. All rights reserved.
Thursday, February 2, 2006
Women have come a long way in The Bahamas since the days when "keep-them-barefooted-and-pregnant" generally was not considered to be a chauvinistic statement. Indeed, four decades or so ago, the vast majority of married women in the country "worked" as housewives, and they were content with being totally subservient to their husbands, who were considered to be the breadwinners in the family.
Their primary job was to ensure that the children were taken care of properly, the house was kept clean, clothes were washed and ironed, and food was cooked and ready for consumption when the "breadwinner" got home from work.
Those women who were ambitious enough to think beyond just being housewives generally ended up pursuing careers primarily as teachers or nurses. A career as a lawyer or medical doctor was simply considered to be beyond the realm of possibility for them.
It was not until 1962, when women voted for the first time in a general election, that the doors were opened to some professions that were once considered — in The Bahamas at least — to be reserved for men only, politics included.
With this newly established "equality," women wasted no time in closing the gender discrimination gap, and today they have established themselves as well respected, competent and capable practitioners in virtually every professional area that was once dominated by men.
Despite all these advancements, however, in a physical sense women are still considered to be the weaker sex and are predominantly the victims whenever domestic violence occurs in a household.
The astronomical increase in divorces in the country since the days when women were content to be housewives underscores the fact that professional women, for the most part, do not put up with abuse of any kind – mental, verbal or physical – from their husbands.
But there are some women who suffer in silence and endure the physical abuse meted out to them by their husbands or significant others, either for economic reasons or fear that the abuse would become more pervasive if they seek help and their lives could be endangered.
It is for these women that a forum held on Monday night at the Pro-Cathedral of Christ The King was so very important. Sponsored by the Grand Bahama Crisis Centre and the Marco City Urban Renewal programme, the well attended meeting, hopefully, was indicative that the message the Crisis Centre, headed by Dr. Jean Turnquest-Brown, has been preaching since its establishment in November of 1997 has taken root.
The crux of the message is that help is available from the Crisis Centre and no abused woman need suffer or condone being abused. As Dr. Turnquest-Brown states: "As we speak out against domestic violence, we are empowered, able to exercise our rights and better protect ourselves. As a result, we can defuse violence in the home and ultimately achieve a reduction in the rate of those murders associated with domestic violence."
The Crisis Centre is to be congratulated for this ongoing, invaluable service to the Grand Bahama community.
Copyright © 2006 The Nassau Guardian. All rights reserved.
