PNM women back Rowley

This was the defence given yesterday in a press statement by the People’s National Movement (PNM) Women’s League as it defended PNM Political Leader and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s bedroom talk at the “Conversations with the Prime Minister” forum on Monday.

Rowley’s comment: “I’m not in your bedroom.

I’m not in your choice of men. You have a responsibility to determine who you associate with and to know when to get out”, caused national outrage among women in particular with many saying he was victim shaming and victim blaming women who are victims of domestic violence and other forms of crime.

Women League chairman Camille Robi n s on - R e g i s could not be reached for comment on Tuesday on Rowley’s statement, but the League in a statement yesterday accused Rowley’s critics of saying nothing about actual murders and instead “unfairly” using Rowley’s 30 second sound-byte, to bash him and “derail vital issues” raised in the “National Conversation.” While defending people’s right to disagree, the statement which was signed by Robinson-Regis lamented that the disagreement was based on a 30-second sound byte out of a twohour conversation.

“For those fortunate enough to listen to the part of the conversation which treated with the response of the Police Service to crime in general, and domestic violence in particular, the Prime Minister delineated the roles to be played by everyone, and the shared responsibility of all citizens, including women, to address what is clearly an unacceptable situation.

“On no occasion did the Prime Minister attempt to cast blame upon or shame women who have been victims of domestic violence. Instead he asked women to use resources available to them, one of which was their ability to choose their partners wisely,” the league said.

Many who have castigated Rowley’s statement, have asked the prime minister to state if it is humanly possible to foretell, on meeting with person for the first time in a new relationship, if that person would commit rape, become violent or commit murder, in the future.

If the answer is ‘no’, they then asked Rowley rhetorically, ‘how is it a woman can choose wisely?’ “We are certain that as a father, he too would have offered the same advice to his daughters,” the Women’s League statement said as it urged both men and women to heed Rowley’s advice.

“The chorus of criticism that has erupted and which threatens to derail the other important issues discussed on that night, has been deafeningly silent as murder after murder has taken place,” the Women’s League said.

The League added that Rowley had nothing to apologise for and such calls are “disingenuous at best” as it fails to distinguish between the content and delivery of Prime Minister’s comments, as other “more discerning commentators” have done.