Women: We have a right to be safe

Participating in the Life in Leggings TT: Women’s Rights March and Rally in recognition of International Women’s Day, which was celebrated on March 8, they held signs with various messages including Gender Equality Now; Men of Quality Do Not Fear Equality; Time to Change the Things We Can Not Accept; and Women’s Bodies Are Not Commodities.

They also chanted loudly as they walked: “What do we want? To feel safe. When do we want it? Right now!; Love and licks doh mix; Stop the abuse. Protect the women.

Right now!; and Gay rights are human rights.” One of the event’s organisers and co-founder of NGO Say Something, Attillah Springer, told Sunday Newsday people were encouraged to “bring their issues” and she was very excited that they responded to the call and felt comfortable enough to do so.

“The point of events like this is to raise consciousness. There might be 2,000 cars passing us and 50 percent might not know what we’re talking about but they might be motivated to go and find out if they read a sign or hear a chant...

Also for those facing similar issues to know that they are not alone.

“It’s important for us to stand up publicly in a society where silence is perceived as consent in a lot of situations. It’s important for us to stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves,” she said.

Springer described violence against women as “off putting” and said it was terrifying that women could disappear or that men view women as property with which they could do what they want.

She gave the example of missing woman police constable Nayasha Joseph saying, “That just goes to show you that no matter what you do or your station in life, it doesn’t matter. Once you are a woman, and you are considered as property by the person you are in a relationship with, then you have a problem,” she said.

Springer stressed that it was important to the various gender-based and equal rights organisations that organised the march that girls be conscious of their rights at a young age as they did not want another generation to have to demonstrate for a right to be safe.

“The more that we change how we approach various issues like sexuality, women’s rights to their bodies, how people process trauma and how victims should be treated, is the more that these pre-teens will understand that they have to actively make the change that is necessary in society. Hopefully they won’t have as difficult a fight as we have now,” she said.

Nailah Clinton of Chaguanas said she was at the march because believed she needed to take an active interest in women’s issues and appreciated that multiple groups joined together to support those issues. She appreciated that the march kept general issues that impact on a woman feeling safe in society in the forefront at this time, and not only when a woman goes missing or is murdered.

“It’s very easy to sit and comment on the sidelines about things. I realised this is not something to leave to anyone. Violence against women is something we have to band together to resolve across the board,” said Clinton.

Patrick Rasoanaivo from Madagascar who now lives in Carenage said, “It’s really important for men to show that women’s issues are everybody’s issues. It’s not women who need to change but society that needs to change, including men.” He added that everyday, in little ways, people need to work on and apply the changes they want to see in society.

Also participating in the event were several prominent women in the local gender affairs arena including Ayanna Webster-Roy, Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister; Dr Gabrielle Hosein, lecturer and Head of the Institute for Gender and Development Studies; Hazel Brown, coordinator at Network of NGOs of Trinidad and Tobago for the Advancement of Women; and Professor Rhoda Reddock.

“Hopefully after this we will hear people speaking out for the need, not just for the police, but for the State to take responsibility for situation we have in Trinidad and Tobago in the absence of a gender policy,” said Brown.