Last year a former colleague; daughter, friend, mother, sister, aunt was violently taken from us by her partner of more than ten years, who subsequently took his own life in the same incident. A young man lost his mother, and we are left with more questions than answers, and more grief. I’ve heard these stories so many times, but never once would I have thought that I’d be touched by it so directly.
Everyone who knew this couple didn’t suspect that the man could have done something so heinous; because he “was always so quiet.” I’ve never been privy to what went on in their relationship, but it’s easy, in hindsight, to see that abuse was taking place. She wanted out of a relationship that was no longer conducive to her peace of mind, her well-being, her safety. She wasn’t allowed to move on because the adage, “if I can’t have you, no one else will” is all too common in Jamaica, and elsewhere. A scenario that has resonated through the ages, and afflicts so many families, and entire communities.
People and the media, question why these women didn’t go to the police, try to leave, or tell someone what was going on. I’m sure many have. But the police, as so often happens, does not take the situation seriously. The unfortunate thing is that the police in Jamaica are resourced, and trained to handle other types of crimes such as robberies, and murders. Even traffic violations are better funded than violence against women. Domestic and intimate partner violence occupies a small space on the authorities’ radar. Many laws are in place to protect women, but they are not enforced.
The facts speak to the high number of cases. According to the Women’s Health Survey 2016 Jamaica report by UN Women, 1 in every 4 women in Jamaica experience violence in their lifetime. It is now a global phenomenon and pervasive in every society, but more so in developing countries. As a result of this inundation people become immune to it, and so it is not given the consideration it requires. Intimate partner violence is defined as “a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviours including physical, sexual and psychological attacks, as well as economic coercion used by adults or adolescents against their current or former intimate partners” (United Nations Children’s Fund [UNICEF], 2006a, p. 3). UNICEF and the World Health Organization describes it as one of the most ubiquitous human rights challenges of modern times. In Jamaica, a tradition of cultural acceptance of violence against women has made it especially a contentious issue. Successive governments have done little to address it; and as such, Jamaica lags behind many countries in taking action against domestic violence.
Though both men and women are victims of domestic violence, males kill their female partners at a rate 5 times higher than the reverse, according to an article by Goussinsky & Yassour-Borochowitz, 2012. Further research also showed that 72% of murder-suicides involved an intimate partner, with the woman murdered by the husband or boyfriend in 94% of cases (Violence Policy Center, 2012). Interestingly, when an incident of intimate partner or domestic violence occurs, it’s lumped together with violence in general, and usually not given much attention in the literature as, for example; politics, other forms of violence, or even celebrity culture.
This fuels the phenomenon and increases its disruptive impact on women and children, as they suffer in obscurity. The lack of responsiveness on the part of the state is also a factor which allows violence against women to continue and flourish. There are major implications to public health and, the mental health of the families left behind.
One would think that in such a small island nation of less than 3 million people, the problem would be more surmountable, less ubiquitous. But why is it that this form of violence against 50% of its population not included in Jamaica’s national security plan? The answer is simple: Jamaica is, has always been, a patriarchy and women are its second class citizens.
Literature put forward by the IACHR in 2012, noted that despite the efforts of the Jamaican government to adopt international legal standards regarding gender equality and violence against women, Jamaican women continue to suffer discrimination and violence of all kinds, including intimate partner violence, and sexual harassment generally.
Humans have been killing each other since time immemorial, but violence against women stems from social and political imbalances, the struggle for dominance of one gender over another. Some experts argue that it could be attributed to disorders of the psyche, but instinctually, and practically, it comes down to control. Violence is about power, be it against women, race, or economic minorities. But violence against women is endemic, rampant in developing regions. “IPV is a human rights transgression with serious adverse physical, sexual, socioemotional, and economic consequences, both immediate and long-term. It affects the general well-being of victims and their families, and exacts an enormous economic cost on society.” Smith, D.E. (2016). Prevalence of intimate partner violence in Jamaica: Implications for prevention and intervention.
While the scale of the problem is alarming, the research is lacking. As a woman, I am deeply disturbed and fearful for anyone who has to function in these societies, especially if they are in relationships that are toxic. It is sad, outrageous, that women are still being treated as property, as chattel. The fact that there is minimal discourse that addresses intimate partner and domestic violence should make us uncomfortable.
We cannot continue to sit back and accept these atrocities; we cannot continue to say “it’s not my problem” or “cockroach nuh business inna fowl fight.” Instead we should be contributing, insisting on the discourse and suggesting workable approaches to prevention.
The current legal framework should be strengthened in light of any emerging policies, data, and action plans that are readily available. The issues are complicated, but we can start by dragging the problem kicking and screaming into the light, educating women and girls on how to identify toxic behaviours in relationships and provide safe, non-judgmental spaces for them to speak freely.
Finally, I want to point out that the media is culpable in how it reports incidents of violence against women. It largely centers on a disturbing narrative that sensationalizes, dehumanizes the issue, and omits men as subjects in the narrative to prevent further occurrences. As such, accountability is too often shifted to the women who are victims of violence. It is important that the discourse include men, make them our allies in prevention of violence against women, because the alternative is simply too bleak to contemplate.
