A Press Release from Womens Media Watch in Jamaica

Originally circulated to the media in Jamaica in October of 2007, discovered by PBMS in May of 2009.

Let us Save Lives – Not Count Deaths

Domestic violence, the ‘hidden crime’, accounts for about half the violent deaths of women in Jamaica. Large numbers of women and children survive daily physical and/or sexual violence. ~from the WMW Jamaica Website

The last two weeks have seen a whirlwind of media stories on incidents of extreme violence against women and children. A woman was stabbed a grotesque 140 times; an elderly woman was murdered execution style, along with her young grandson; houses were fire-bombed killing or devastating women and children …  And now we read that morgue workers are raping the dead.

These incidents follow on other cases this year of gruesome brutality meted out to women by their male partners. There is clearly a growing pattern of violence against women and children in our society. 

By violently creating communities that live in fear of death, small groups of (predominantly) males are controlling the lives of large numbers of children, women and men.

Many women and girls are considered 'sexual property' belonging to a rival ('enemy') man, family, or community.  By defiling and violating the 'property' of another man or community, through raping or killing their women and children that whole community is violated and debased.  This kind of violence against women and children is an act of community terrorism.

This recent surge of violence against women and children calls for society's collective self-examination and, equally important, for real action.

There was a time when love and respect for women and children shielded them from gun violence by men. But - children who are unloved, disrespected, unwanted and abused, do not learn to love or respect others, whether males or females. They learn anger and hatred and grow to be gun-toting youth engaged in a desperate attempt to earn respect and status. Tragically, many children are born today who from early, experience neglect and abuse, rather than parental love and care.

People who feel powerless resort to violence to reestablish their sense of self, and sense of control. This need for power transcends classes. We have created a society that particularly alienates young men who consequently use violence to access social and financial status and power.

The teenage gunman has learnt from some 'big', powerful males in our society and popular media images that manhood status is gained by being ruthless and committing crimes, including sexual crimes. Is this because manliness is defined by aggression and the ability to dominate and rule? Unless we find ways to respect youth from all classes, young men will respond to social and economic injustice and political exploitation by using violence and revenge.

Also, some males are raised to treat female sexuality as a commodity to which they have a right. So, forced sex (rape) which violates girls' or women's bodies is 'justifiable'. Do we, as men and women, recognize that females have sexual rights which are an integral part of their human rights?

The media plays a role here too. Entertainment media is replete with brutal and vengeful heroes who achieve power through violent means.  News coverage of societal violence is often sensational, or shocks us into hopeless despair – instead of useful action. Research conducted globally by the United Nations shows that youngsters raised in aggressive environments are strongly influenced by violence in the media, which is of course, the daily diet for many of our children.

WMW calls for concerned citizens to take more active interest in our youth, particularly our young men. Clearly the lack of responsible male role models has negatively impacted our young men and is connected to the spiraling rates of crimes. We plead with all mature men to speak out against sexual and gender-based violence.

But, we need more than talk, we need action.  We must stop losing our youths. Women and men really working together can stop this gender-based violence.

~WMW Jamaica