Family violence topic of conference
The problem of violence in the home is a huge one, and one that no single government agency can combat alone. To develop some joint programs and see how they can assist each other, today the National Women’s Commission, the Women’s Department, Ministry of Human Development, Women and Youth and the Ministry of National Security came together for a one day consultation.
Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development
“We are trying to put together all the players we could possibly get our hands on. What we hope to come out today is to strengthen the task force on family violence. As you can see we referred to the issue as family violence rather than domestic violence because we realize we have to address the issues of the elderly people as well as children which is extremely important. Because when there is quiet and battering the children suffer and people who are most vulnerable.”
Q: “For a child seeing daddy beating up on mommy, what help can that child get?”
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
“Well, the help that that child will need to get is for that woman to report it to the authorities quickly and get a professional and sensitive response.”
Apart from the Ministry of Human Development the Ministry of National Security also has its key role to play in order to combat family violence.
Jorge Espat, Minister of National Security
“The Ministry of National Security is in the process of drafting certain policies that speak to the concerns of human development. We are also constructing an office on the compounds of the Queen Street Police Department that will be utilized by the domestic violence unit as well as the juvenile unit. We are going to fan; we are going to staff the place with the necessary human resources. Again, the mandate and the mission will be to assist in reducing family violence in our society.”
The objective of the consultation is to examine past and current activities and to develop mechanisms to effectively deal with family violence. But family violence is not only something for the ministries to take on, we as a community can also do our part as well.
Jorge Espat
“As a people, we need now to end the violence against each other. Not namely violence such as robbery and thief but violence against each other where we abuse our women, our men, our children. And, if we want to be a better society I think we must rise above this violence.”
Dolores Balderamos Garcia
“The one thing that I would like to say to men out there, especially men, if you love your children treat their mother right. Let us not continue the cycles of violence that we hear about everyday.”
It is hoped that at the end of the consultation recommendations will be set before the Domestic Violence Task Force to develop mechanisms to alleviate violence in our homes. Hyacinth Latchman for News Five.
The consultation, held at the Radisson Fort George, was sponsored by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF.
