Dominica tackles gender-based violence

Dominica will join the rest of the world on Friday to bring about the awareness that gender-based violence should not be tolerated.

The observance which is called Sixteen Days of Activism to end all forms of violence against women was recognized by the United Nations in 1999.

President of the Dominica National Council of Women Josephine Dublin Prince said the platform is being used by women activists around the world to call for the elimination of all forms of violence against women and to advocate for women rights to live in equality.

Dublin-Prince Friday’s observance will also seek to recognize women who are currently in abusive relationships.

She said some Dominican women are being forced to remain in abusive relationships because of obligation.

“As we speak, some women are trapped because of domestic violence, because they refuse to break their silence, or they feel they cannot leave because of the children, or because the man is the bread winner or because they just feel trapped. We are wearing a lilac ribbon to remember those persons and we are saying break the silence and come out from this situation,” she said.

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17 Comments

  1. tiny
    November 25, 2011

    abu…..you make some sense because i have seen some jealous woman constantly wrongfully accusing their men of cheating………..but in an island like Dominica……there is still quite a large amount of women who are not independent. the men are the bread winners and the women are forced to remain in an abusive relationship………….

    women are usually the ones who get battered by their husbands……..girls/females are usually the ones who get sexually assaulted by their fathers and uncles……..we are increasingly hearing of the sexual abuse of boys by men also…..

    when was the last time you heard a boy got sexually abused by his mother or aunt or an older female?….and i am not talking about those stupid cases in the US where a female teacher gets charged for having sex with her 15 yer old male student….to me that’s not rape…the boy will never live to regret this…..he will boast about it till he die….. as a matter of fact when was the last time have you heard of a man who is of consenting age who got raped by a female….it is always the other way around…bottom line….women are the physically weaker vessel and they are the ones that end up being abused the most

    • tiny
      November 25, 2011

      hey i also realize that sometimes it is difficult for men to leave a relationship too because of child and spousal support which take place after a DIVORCE….SO HE STAYS BECAUSE it is safer financially

  2. fatty batty
    November 25, 2011

    i am a victim i never love a drug dealer and a gangster,for 20 years of my life 2 sons and was in a relationship,now am free i broke the silence and i am happy it took years to do so,so my advice is don’t wait when some very very bad happen to leave,woman are not the only one men too are also victims.

  3. November 25, 2011

    Black women are not stupid we are coward.Abuse and violence is not beating on someoe physically alone, it also verbally,emotionally,financially,pyschologically,mentally,etc.I’m a victim

  4. No Corner
    November 25, 2011

    some woman too sot they with all kind of characters what you expect

  5. Patriotic Citizen
    November 25, 2011

    Violence against women has been called “the most pervasive yet least recognized human rights abuse in the world. And the abuse is sustained by a culture of silence and denial of the seriousness of the health consequences. What we need to do as advocates are to embrace the pleas of the abused and offer encouragement and support… to the abused NEXT DOOR, DOWN THE STREET, TO ONE OF OUR COLLEAGUES. But I believe the organization lacks in educating and reaching out to these victims….

    Advocating for women with parliamentarians and women’s national networks

    Integrating messages on the prevention of gender-based violence into information, education and communication projects
    are just a few means by which the organization should maintain tackling the concern YEAR ROUND!

  6. Abu Sulayman
    November 25, 2011

    I do not feel an ounce of pity for many of our women who get abused you know why?

    Firstly, these brainless guinea pigs take their God given brain and put themselves with gangsters and drug dealers. When a gentleman compliments them and ask them out to know them better many do not want that. They want rough neck, take your damn licks!

    Secondly, this article is a bias article. Tell these feminist writers to go to hell! Women abuse men a lot in Dominica. Why isn’t that spoken about? Women spit, use obscene language on the road to their men, slap them across their faces etc. Some men just take it because if they lash back it’s abuse! We tend to feel sorry for women with their crocodile tears but never empathize with our men. Men are human beings and they have feelings too.

    Thirdly, a lot of these women provoke their men to anger. They nag, use the children against the men to extort funds from men. How about that you feminists? Isn’t provocation against the law?

    In conclusion, this article is a gender biased one. Secondly, abuse should NOT be done either by women or men. Thirdly, the same outreach programs that are being requested for women should be requested for both men and women. This society is too hypocritical!

    • Chris
      November 25, 2011

      you are hypocritical my son!

  7. Anonymous
    November 24, 2011

    they say Gender-based violence but completely forget that men get abused too. so the hypocrisy is evident here. call it what it is

    • me
      November 25, 2011

      you must be able to read minds I was just about to say the same thing. Don’t know why they ever even bothered to change the name from min. of Women affairs to gender affairs

  8. Jaime Lewis
    November 24, 2011

    In calling women to get out of violent and abusive relationships, advocates must present women with options. An abused woman has to figure out a number of things: where will she go? will she take the children with her? where will she find a job? does she have the skills to support herself and her children? how will she remain safe? will the abuser find her? does she have the strength to walk away and keep him away from her? does she have the emotional strength to start all over again?

    We must help women with counseling and the practical services needed to walk away from these abusive relationships. Women need to rebuild their self-esteem. Women need support groups, to be with other abused women who understand what they’re going through. Women need to be educated on the cycle of abuse so they are not fooled into staying in the relationship.

    We must provide support networks and support systems for women who choose to leave these abusive relationships. Without these systems women will feel trapped to remaining in those situations.

  9. forreal
    November 24, 2011

    i can testify to that,every time i read about women being abused, it brings back memories,i grew without a dad,my mother was with man,and this man used to drink a lot,and when this man come home,this man used to fight my mother,one time i could not take that crap any more,is open i open this man head with a stone,the bible says if your right offend you,chop it of,a lot of this man and them need have their hands chop of.

  10. November 24, 2011

    THAT IMAGE DOESN’T LOOK LIKE VIOLENCE1
    THAT IMAGE LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING ELSE!!

  11. Anonymous
    November 24, 2011

    black women are stupid. you expect to get bitten when you love gangsters and drug dealers . they shouldn’t complaint, they know what they are getting themselves into so they should put a sock in it when they’re getting flogged.

    • Chris
      November 25, 2011

      I find your comment to be very silly!! Is it drug dealers and gangsters alone that abuse women>???

      There are men dressed in their suits with high end jobs that abuse their wives, mothers, and children!!

      You would be surprised!!! And is not physical abuse alone that is abuse…. there is mental, emotional, financial, psychological….

      So women are not stupid… Most women are fearful..

    • November 25, 2011

      i support that statement

    • Mervin
      November 25, 2011

      That’s the most ridiculous comment. I’m a black man and i won’t accept the fact that your calling our own race stupid… I’m against woman being disprected and abuse… Some women stay becuase they are weak, dont have an option at the time to end that relationship because of the situation they might be in.

      The best i can do is say to all the men in dominica who are abusing our black women to stop it… be a man not a boy, even though they do things to push our bottons but as i said be the MAN…

      STOP VOILENCE AGAINST WOMEN…..

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