Community
Cayman's efforts at addressingDomestic Violence Lauded
Vidya Kissoon and BPW Vice-Presidentand chairman of the '16 Days of Activision' compaign, Ms. AngelaDoyle
Guyanese Domestic Violence advocate, Mr.Vidyaratha Kissoon, says he is impressed with, and heartened at,the level of public support being given the Business and ProfessionalWomen's (BPW) Club in its fight against Domestic Violence.
Mr. Kissoon, who is Vice President of the Guyanese non-governmentalorganisation (NGO) Help and Shelter, visited Cayman for the firsttime, at BPW's invitation. He spent 21 days here meeting and talkingwith people of all walks of life and generally helping the organisationwith its '16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence' campaign.
"What I see here.. is that there is a wide range of peoplewho're committed to working against it and are willing to supportBPW and the 16-day committee in this work...and that's a verygood sign - because it's not only women but both men and women,"Mr. Kissoon said.
This coming together of the sexes in dealing with domestic violence,he said, is absent in his native Guyana. "I think that'ssomething that happens here that might not necessarily happenin Guyana so openly. Very few men have come forward in Guyana,"the young Guyanese said.
For instance, he said, a Dating Violence Workshop held at theJohn Gray High School soon after he arrived, on November 23, wasrun by Mr. Kissoon and two other males, namely Mr Terry Delaneyand Mr Les Panton. In fact, it was a male teacher who called theworkshop. "There we were; three males talking about datingviolence. I think that's a historical event, because that wouldnot have happened in any other part of the Caribbean."
He also marvelled at the keen interest shown by the George TownHospital in the campaign, by requesting a workshop for its medicalstaff. He said that the head of the Emergency Room was very happywhen she heard about the proposed workshop, because every Fridayand Saturday night, they get to see firsthand the evidence ofDomestic Violence.
Mr. Kissoon attributes the level of positive response the issuehas been having to date to the numerous activities the organisationhas held over the years, the most recent being the Silent WitnessMarch on October 18, and the '16-Days of Activism Against GenderViolence' campaign begun on Saturday, November 25, which endedwith a Thanksgiving service at the Agape Family Worship Centreon Sunday, December 10.
"All of these things have brought the issue out of the privatesphere into the public arena," he said. He added that thereis more awareness, and people will be more inclined to speak outas more activities are held.
During his talk at the John Gray High School, for instance, studentswere surprised that there was an organisation that was actuallyprepared to talk about such things in a classroom. "Withthis willingness to talk," Mr. Kissoon said, "we hopethat the shame is removed and that people will come forward."
He said, however, that what he was hearing on the other side ofthe coin is that many still doubt the efficacy of local supportmechanisms, and this is one area that will need to be addressedurgently.
Crucial to this year's activity, he said, was a meeting of men,on Wednesday, December 6 at Seaview Hotel on South Church Street.The idea, Mr. Kissoon said, was for men "to join and discusswhat's happening to men and determine how men who live here cancontribute to a society that is free from violence of any sort."
As to how Cayman and Guyana differed in their approach to domesticviolence, Mr. Kissoon said that with Cayman, it is a matter ofissues of confidentiality.
"I used to think that Guyana was small, but here is evensmaller so issues of confidentiality become more important,"he said. In some quarters, he added, there is evidence of denial;"situations where people don't want to come out and talk."
Thanks to the media both here and in Guyana, however, this reluctanceto talk is slowly but surely giving way to a new element of boldness;something that was unheard of here in Cayman five to ten yearsago.
He hastened to assure that it was a phase which Guyana had alsoundergone, pointing out that it was the media which was largelyresponsible for bringing about that level of confidence with whichorganisations there now deal with the issue.
He said, however, that with the number of new and exciting developmentsinternationally in the fight against domestic violence, "Caymanis in a unique position to leap-frog a lot of the mistakes thatwere made in other countries."
Mr. Kissoon noted that Cayman has "a wonderful opportunity"to network with other countries in the region, which is one ofthe things that organisations like his and the BPW are currentlyexamining, with a view to linking Cayman, the US, Guyana, Jamaicaand Trinidad so that they may share resources and generally learnfrom each other.
Mr. Kissoon left for home on Monday, 11th December.