Letter of the Day | Confront violence against women and girls now

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Jamaica has long grappled with the horrific realities of domestic abuse, rape, molestation, and femicide. According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica and the Jamaica Constabulary Force, over 1,400 cases of sexual violence were reported in 2023 alone, with women and girls accounting for over 85 per cent of the victims. Yet, these numbers only scratch the surface. Behind each statistic is a face, a name, a life brutally altered or lost – and countless others suffering in silence.

There was once a time when it took a village to raise a child, when community meant protection. Today, it feels like we live in a culture of ‘every man fi himself’, where silence is golden and turning a blind eye is the rule, not the exception. The infamous ‘informa fi dead’ mantra has done more harm than good, creating a dangerous hush-hush environment where perpetrators thrive, often shielded by those closest to them.

Jamaicans display public outrage well. We flood social media with RIP posts, we cry in town halls, we march for a day or two. But, where is the sustained policy reform? Where is the political will to declare a national emergency on gender-based violence? How many more of our daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends must become hashtags before we act decisively?

Too many victims are left to carry invisible scars for life, a kind of emotional death sentence with no parole. And yet, too often they are blamed, shamed, or silenced, while society reserves its loudest grief for the loss of dons and criminals. Where is the fire in our bellies when it’s our little girls being raped and dumped in barrels?

This is a wake-up call. We need action, not another nine-day wonder. We need the full force of the law, sustained public education, proper psychosocial support, and a cultural shift that says ‘enough is enough’.

We cannot wait for the tragedy to reach our own gates before we care.

PETA-GAY FERGUSON

General Secretary, PNPYO