Domestic violence leads to the destruction of marriages, homes, families and the lives of children and ultimately the suppression of culture. Such occurrences have transformed many good countries into urban disaster that leads to the sufferings from uncontrolled prostitution, child abuse, illegitimacy, physical abuse, sexual abuse and sexual predation.
Long-term effects of domestic violence on women who have been abused may include: eating disorders, drug and alcohol consumption, malnutrition, poverty, panic attacks, repeated self injury, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorders, strained family relationships, suicide attempts and the inability to respond to the needs of their children. When children cannot depend on their parents for emotional/ practical support, their development can be delayed or permanently distorted. Children without available parent may withdraw from relationships and social activities.
Moreover, abused women are at higher risk of miscarriages, stillbirths and infant deaths and are more likely to give birth to low birth weight children; a risk for neonatal and infant deaths.
Boys who witnessed their fathers’ abuse on their mothers are more likely to inflict severe violence as adults on their spouses. Data suggested that girls who witness maternal abuse might tolerate abuse as adults more than girls who do not.
The question is, why does the incidence of domestic violence often go unreported? Why is there disagreement about what should be included in the definition of domestic violence? Domestic violence is a CRIME whether it is lethal [homicide] or non-lethal [rape, assault, aggravated assault, simple assault etc]. Husbands and male intimate partners are the main perpetrators of domestic violence; which is often hidden in many cases. Women are more at risk in their home than on the streets and overwhelmingly as it is the husband/ intimate partner is the one who commits the abuse.
It is 2008 and many things have changed in this world but domestic violence against women have remained the same in many countries across the globe as it was 100 years ago. Is there not something wrong with this picture? Women contribute life to this beautiful earth and in tern they are beaten and cured upon by members of the opposite sex. How long will this go on for? How long will we have to suffer at the hands of men we take as life partners. It is sad to see that thousands of cases go unreported every year. It’s time to make a change. Women of all creed and race, I implore you get out of the bondages you may find yourself in. I am not advocating divorce but what I am advocating for is domestic abuse free days. No woman should suffer at the hands of a man. After all, it is the woman who carries that male child in her womb and protects it for the many months she is pregnant.
A landmark study conducted by the World Health Organization on domestic violence is noted below.
WHO report finds domestic violence is widespread and has serious impact on health 24 NOVEMBER 2005 | GENEVA/LONDON — The first-ever World Health Organization (WHO) study on domestic violence reveals that intimate partner violence is the most common form of violence in women’s lives - much more so than assault or rape by strangers or acquaintances. The study reports on the enormous toll physical and sexual violence by husbands and partners has on the health and well-being of women around the world and the extent to which partner violence is still largely hidden.
“This study shows that women are more at risk from violence at home than in the street and this has serious repercussions for women’s health,” said Dr LEE Jong-wook, Director-General of WHO at the study release in Geneva. “The study also shows how important it is to shine a spotlight on domestic violence globally and treat it as a major public health issue.”
The study is based on interviews with more than 24 000 women from rural and urban areas in 10 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Japan, Namibia, Peru, Samoa, Serbia and Montenegro, Thailand, and the United Republic of Tanzania. The Women’s Health and Domestic Violence Against Women study makes recommendations and calls for action by policy makers and the public health sector to address the human and health costs, including by integrating violence prevention programming into a range of social programs.
The study finds that one quarter to one half of all women who had been physically assaulted by their partners said that they had suffered physical injuries as a direct result. The abused women were also twice as likely as non-abused women to have poor health and physical and mental problems, even if the violence occurred years before. This includes suicidal thoughts and attempts, mental distress, and physical symptoms like pain, dizziness and vaginal discharge. The study was carried out in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, PATH and national research institutions and women’s organizations in the participating countries.
Read the full article. - this article is a must read!!!
Apsana
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May 16th, 2008 at 11:24 pm
The situation is a miserable and terrifying one. The solution to just leave the abusive mate, or have a domestic free day is a very simplistic solution to a serious problem , many of the women in such situations are low in esteem, the courage to get up and out is long gone. I guess in many of these cases the beaten mate blames his or herself for the violence, as to say they are to blame for his or her anger that resulted in cuts and gashes.
What about the children in those homes?
A quote from Dianne Feinstein,
“Domestic violence causes far more pain than the visible marks of bruises and scars. It is devastating to be abused by someone that you love and think loves you in return. It is estimated that approximately 3 million incidents of domestic violence are reported each year in the United States.”
Rick
May 19th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Guyana and Guyanese at home and abroad have a serious problem and not dealing with domestic violence we know is taking place doesn’t make it go away. it is your business if some clown is beating his wife
May 19th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Yes! It is my business being part of a larger group to address the issue. If you would look on Baiganchoka’s home page and blog, you would see that ee have joined up with SAKHI.ORG to address this issue within the West Indian community. Why! because we want a to be valued on the global platform. We would like be better and stonger and more united as community going foward. Rebelucion, you do not have have to care at all about the subject but we would like address the way Westindian families address domestic violence. Do you realize that if you would go to a police outpost in Queens NY and ask about an identifying characteristic among West Indians, more likely than not domestic violence would the on the top two list. So as a community that is asking for change, we feel it quite important.
May 19th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
I agree with Rick! The solution is to leave, but how many does? How many can? Traditional values play a large part in women choosing to stay in an abusive relationship/marriages - their mothers’ stayed so they feel it’s their duty as wives to say. Some stay for their kids. Some stay because they don’t know life apart from their abusive husband. Some are even pressured to stay by their own mothers. Whatever the reason women choose to say in such relationships/marriages it is their own choice. More harm is done to themselves and their family in staying.
Rebelucion, what exactly are you saying?
May 21st, 2008 at 2:53 am
The new generation of women seem to have less tolerance for domestic violence and I hope to continue to stand up to it, but it’s the older women (their mothers - late 40s and up) I worry about - they stay with their abusive spouse no matter the cost to themselves or their children. I am witnessing so many cases of this now, in the US of women from the Caribbean and it breaks my heart. I try to understand their values and why they stay, but is it that difficult to say “enough is enough”?
May 21st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
All we can do is push forward for change. Some will embrace it, others will continue to apply the cover up make up. Just the way things will always be I suppose.
May 21st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Cindy, if you’ve help one situation, you’ve helped a number greater zero. It’s a battle to be fought one at a time.
May 21st, 2008 at 4:37 pm
There are so many cases of domestic abuse in Guyana. Are there laws against domestic violence (in Guyana)?
June 4th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
There are no laws against domestic violence in Guyana.A man can do whatever he want with a woman, bribe the police and go free.The woman will have to live with the trauma for the rest of her life.
Andrew please go to Guyana and see what it is like for yourself and then tell me about the battles that you think can be fought one at a time.Money rules everything there.
A 9yrs old child is walking on the road- two old men raped and killed her.What has been done:NOTHING.People are poor, they can barely pay their travelling to the police station much less hire a lawyer.
A man was having an affair,when his wife confront him about it he threw battery acid on her scarring her for life.That same woman is the mother of his three children.Nothing has been done.Everyday you pick up the newspapers there’s always incidence of domestic abuse and there are NO LAWS in GUYANA.
People murder.rape,rob and massacre and yet they go free.
June 5th, 2008 at 2:27 am
It’s problem like these that Guyana need to start focusing on instead of creating initiatives to be green. Jagdeo is like a baby trying to run before he or she can even walk. Whatever happened to Fineman? Jagdeo is like Bush who went in search of Osama and ended up in Iraq! Where is Fineman? And what’s going on with the efforts in find him and his gang?
June 5th, 2008 at 3:36 am
Well such is life in Guyana, feel free to commit any crime you want and know if you have the money you will go free.You can buy the judge,lawyers and even pay to destroy your case so there would never be a court hearing. The Lusignan/Bartica massacre is history and it will continue to happen because there’s no law in Guyana and the Government dont give a damn.Perhaps he’s waiting for another massacre to go sympathize in order to get votes and ask other countries for financial aid.
Great is Bharrat Jagdeo.He cannot apprehend one murderer who’s on the run but he is the President so what can we do about it?Good luck on all his spendings for Carifesta…Poor going hungry but Carifesta/Stadium more important to the Government.Just wait for the bill.