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Guyana will soon launch and host the first-ever women’s exhibition aimed at showcasing the talents and achievements of women across the country.

The exposition, titled “Feminition”, is scheduled to be held at the National Stadium from May 27 to 29. It is being held in collaboration with the Human Services and Social Security Ministry and Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry, founder of the Women of Worth (WoW) loan scheme. The objectives of the expo are to showcase the talents, skills and professions of women; create employment ideas for women looking to start their own businesses; showcase the existing work of women’s groups; and stimulate the drive for women entrepreneurship in Guyana.

At a media launch held at the Convention Centre at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, Prime Minister Samuel Hinds welcomed the initiative, stating that such events are needed to remind the public that women are a valuable asset to society. Declaring that he has long been a supporter of gender equality, Hinds explained that women and men are indeed equal. He emphasised that men and women must embrace this fact, and unite in order to make a difference in society. “We have a big job ahead of us to make this country unified, and we have a big challenge to develop the country materially. Men and women need to come together and pool their strengths to make society more whole, because there is a significant connection between those two things,” he said.

He went on to state that there are even instances when women excel ahead of men in certain areas, but this is not often admitted, due to the ‘macho’ thinking of males. Nevertheless, he said, the women’s exposition will help to remind people that women have potential and can aid in the development process.

Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand first lauded GBTI for the success of the WoW loans, and the opportunities that the WoW has since created for women who would otherwise have been unable to start their own businesses. She explained that, too often, because of the traditional roles of men and women placed in the minds of people, society is deprived of seeing the ‘beautiful side’ of women outside of those roles.

“Gender equality remains something that we are striving for, and something we have to achieve; and because of that, many bad things happen, particularly to what has been deemed to be the weaker gender – women,” she said. She added that this exhibition will give people a chance to see that beautiful side of women that is so often placed on the backburner. The minister then encouraged all interested women to come on board as soon as possible, so that they could get a chance to showcase their talents.

Head of credit of the GBTI, Shaleeza Shaw, expressed the bank’s contentment at being able to provide a facility such as the WoW loan to women. Since its launch in June 2010, Shaw proudly declared, the bank has received as many as 1111 applications (up to 12 applications daily). Of this amount, she explained, 781 loans, amounting to $154 million, have been approved. She explained that since the bank had allocated $500 million for this initiative, there is room for many more disbursals. Moreso, she said, since this sum is revolving, as customers continue to repay, more women will be able to access loans. Shaw stated that, currently, up to 10 women from the first batch of disbursals are expected to complete repaying their loans shortly.

Source: http://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=6039

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–at unveiling of Kowsilla’s portrait

THE portrait of Kowsilla, the third of three to be erected honouring women who have made their mark in Guyana, was on Saturday last unveiled at the Leonora market, West Coast Demerara. The other two are of Winifred Gaskin and Dr. Desrey Fox. Kowsilla was an Executive of the Leonora branch of the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) and paid the price of her life for her belief in adequate wage for adequate work.
The unveiling is part of activities by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in observance of International Women’s Day (March 8) observed under the theme “Equal Access to Education, Training, Science and Technology, the pathway to decent work for women.”

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Ms. Priya Manickchand told the gathering at Leonora that women have come a far way in Guyana and alluded to the progress many have made.
Guyana ranks at 25 of 186 countries with the percentage of female members of parliament, faring better than many developing countries and its Caribbean counterparts. 

“We appreciate the efforts of women who came before us, like Kowsilla, who, had it not been for their struggles, we would not have been enjoying many of the things we take for granted today, and, we must ensure that their struggles don’t go in vain. We must also resolve to resist oppressors and oppression in any form and teach our children that as well,” she said.
A mother of four and the sole breadwinner of her family, Kowsilla was born in 1920 and was killed on March 6, 1964 when her body was severed in two by an estate scab, Felix Ross, who drove a tractor through her. He was later acquitted. 

Also attending the unveiling ceremony on Saturday were children of neighbouring schools and, Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali who congratulated the Ministry of Human Services for the work done in the area of women and children and for bringing their issues to the fore.
Recognition has also been paid last week to two other outstanding women, Winifred Gaskin and Dr. Desrey Fox.
Winifred Ivy Gaskin, has been hailed a phenomenal woman, a woman of many talents and strengths, by Minister Manickchand at the portrait unveiling on Friday last at Public Road, Buxton, East Coast Demerara.
“Who was this lady, Winnie Gaskin that we come today and honour?” she queried. 

She was described as a teacher, journalist, mother, politician, diplomat and Minister of Education. 
“She (Gaskin) along with another set of fantastic women showed us in Guyana, by joining their sisters across the world, just how much more women are capable of. I say on behalf of myself and on behalf of my generation, thank you to Winnie Gaskin and the women who came before us, like her, who paved the way for us…give us space to come and excel and be all that we can be,” Minister Manickchand said. 

The Minister also unveiled a portrait erected between the junction of the Cyril Potter College of Education and the University of Guyana of the late Minister within the Ministry of Education, Dr. Desrey Fox. 
Dr. Fox was recognised for her accomplishments as an outstanding daughter of the land, icon and for the legacy she has left behind.

Source: (GINA) https://guyanachronicle.com/2011/03/16/ensure-the-struggles-of-women-dont-go-in-vain-minister-manickchand

Men face tremendous, varied pressures in society and require these to be dealt with in a masculine way was the message as the Men Affairs Bureau (MAB) was officially launched yesterday.

“We need to ensure that men and boys are not left behind,” said Trevor Thomas, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security. Falling under the auspices of the ministry, the establishment of the MAB is to ensure an institutional framework is in place to ensure that the welfare of men and boys are taken into consideration in the overall development plan. Thomas said the nation will not experience holistic development if there are dysfunctional men in society or there is a shortage of responsible males.

The launch at the Umana Yana yesterday-under the theme ‘Enabling and encouraging Men to fulfil their true potential as Fathers, Husbands, Partners and Role Models’-saw a large turnout including President Bharrat Jagdeo, ministers, other officials, men and women. Thomas said the MAB emerged out of calls for something to be done to address issues faced by men and boys. According to a flyer distributed, any man who is struggling with addiction, uncontrolled anger, relation issues, parenting skills, domestic abuse, depression or low self-esteem can meet with the MAB. Also, discussions in communities can be organised.

According to Men Empowerment Network (MEN) representative Dr Marlon Hestick, if men are honoured and given their place in society, it brings hope, given the role men play. He pointed to the issue of domestic violence which has come under the spotlight in recent years saying that typically this involved a “fallen man.” In the wake of the incidents, he said, they felt something needed to be done and MEN partnered with the ministry.

Men are not all bad, Hestick noted, while saying that a lot of men had fallen. Sons need men in order to mould them, he said. The pastor added that if a man is not “right,” the family and the nation are affected. He said they have an expectation that with the establishment of MAB, there will be a better appreciation of the circumstances and needs of the male.

In his remarks, MAB Administrator Reverend Patrick Findlay pointed out that MAB became operational last November. The vision is to help men realise and fulfil their full potential, he said. He said they are partnering with several donor agencies that are very enthusiastic and there are plans to go across the country and hold meetings. He said some meetings have already been held and the response was “amazing.” They also plan to go to schools as well. Findlay said MAB does not claim to have all the answers but pledged to educate and encourage.

According to him, men have shut themselves in a prison that takes away the joys of life and resort to, among other things, alcohol, extra-marital affairs and even suicide. He urged men to come and talk about the issues that are affecting them. “Everyone is depending on us guys, everyone,” he said.

Meanwhile, Community Development and Social Policy Officer in the Office of the President Reverend Kwame Gilbert said it was necessary to institutionalise an agency that addresses men’s issues because the problems which are being faced cannot be fixed at the same level of consciousness at which they were created. He said initiatives done have not produced the kind of results that were being worked for. It became necessary because “knee-jerk reactions cannot produce sustainable transformation,” he said. If women and children’s issues are to be effectively addressed, “we have to begin to talk with our men… not to them,” he emphasised.

‘Lost boys’

President Jagdeo, in giving the feature address, pointed out that it is the traditional view that men don’t need help but said men do need institutions to help them through the very challenging times we are faced with. A series of challenges faced by men is unique to men, he noted.

The President alluded to issues faced by men worldwide but particularly in the Caribbean. He said that at a certain age boys are being “lost to all sorts of influences.” He said that these days, boys are not achieving the same level of education as women and this leads to confidence issues. Also, the President said, boys are also susceptible to those hell-bent on a path to crime.

Jagdeo, in recalling meeting with teachers who said that more male teachers are needed, pointed to the absence of a community of men with male values to turn to. “Even now, there’s so much pressure on our boys and not just in school but in society. I think there’s a big fear it’s leading to the ‘effeminisation’ of men,” he said. The President said that this is because they don’t have a community of men with male values to turn to for guidance. He added that male and masculine values do not mean aggression but male values, “things that are unique to us, that we look up to in our fathers….”

“If we don’t have that support we will succumb more and more to this process of ‘effeminisation’ of men,” Jagdeo said. He said there are many incidences out there. We live in an open society so we can’t use “prohibition” to keep men away from some of these influences, Jagdeo said, alluding to things in society that would not be tolerated in a more closed society. “But we have committed ourselves to live with a constitution where people’s orientation etc are, people are not persecuted because of those,” he said. “But those influences do exist and we don’t want every young male child to start thinking that that is okay,” he added. The President said there is need for a community of men where men can get together to discuss male problems and how to deal with these in a strong, masculine environment. This has nothing to do with competition with women, he underscored. The President pointed out that there are societal issues that affect the self-confidence of men. He cited men not finding jobs in an environment where people expect males to be a provider for the family. “How hard is it for that male to deal with the criticism and the environment, the pressure of it when they can’t find a job and they’re expected to be the breadwinner for the family?” he asked. He said the society unfortunately still has too many people unemployed though the situation has improved tremendously.

“The way we respond to this pressure is not by striking out at the people who may criticise us,” Jagdeo said, adding that the way to do this is by dealing with the problem. But there must be a support system for men who face the problems of being undereducated in comparison to the female and their models in the school being all women.  There must be some supporting network and the MAB is the attempt to create that network, the President said. “Creating this network would help us to tackle the other problems that our women face so much.  It would help us because sometimes [women] throw up their hands in the air, they don’t know how to deal with us ’cause we don’t know ourselves, we don’t have the confidence to deal with ourselves and our issues,” he added.

Minister of Human Services Priya Manickchand, noting the focus on tackling issues related to gender equality with many believing that this has to do chiefly with women, said she believed the world has missed the opportunity to create a space for men to discuss issues. Men have felt left out, she said. “We have to cater in a more strategic way for the needs of the men of our country,” she added.

Source:https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/news/stories/03/05/bureau-launched-to-support-men-facing-societal-pressures/

Minister of Education Priya Manickchand along with regional and education officials yesterday visited several schools in Region Three and examined what could be done to rehabilitate them and their surroundings. Manickchand also blasted the authorities for not honouring the responsibilities that come with their positions.

“Much is given to you, much is expected of you,” Minister Manickchand told  the officials, while reminding them of their positions and how to honour them.

The first stop was at the Nismes Primary School where a huge fish pond at the front of the school continues to concern parents and teachers as regards pupils’ safety.

It was also reported that the school had not been getting water for over three days because an excavator broke the pipes in the process of trying to fill the pond.

It was reported that the Regional Education Department knew about the issue but it had not been addressed.

Manickchand asked Regional Education Officer (REdO) Marlyne Jones O’Donoghue why no effort was made to have the pipes fixed for over three days. O’Donoghue responded that a plumber was assigned to the task but he had to go to the Uitvlugt Primary School instead to fix some pipes that were blocked and causing flooding at that school.

But the minister found that unacceptable. She gave the REdO a deadline of until 6 pm yesterday to have the school equipped with running water. “Even if you took the plumber away yesterday to fix the pipes at Uitvlugt you still had two days prior to that and a school not having water for over three days is unacceptable to me,” she said.

Inclement weather

Region Three Chairman Julius Faerber said they were unable to fill the pond because of the inclement weather. He said too that the region had only one tractor and trailer so it was hard for it to be in many places at one time.

The pond is about 4-5 feet deep and he estimated that if the Neighbourhood 

Democratic Council (NDC) fills it, it will take over one month. He suggested that they hire a contractor to have the job completed in a timelier manner and suggested Puran Bros Contracting Services.

Manickchand agreed to the suggestion urging them to find a contractor as soon as possible since she wanted the pond filled within two weeks since it posed a risk to the students.

Headmistress Juliet Felix pointed out to the minister that the school’s playfield was also not safe for the students to use since it is filled with “cow holes’

Manickchand ordered that the Regional Engineer estimate what can be done to have the playfield levelled and how much it would cost and to submit it to her as fast as possible.

It was also pointed out that the cattle farmers had made holes in the fence to have their cows graze in the school’s compound during the vacation period and on weekends, since the school has no day guard.

Felix said some of the farmers have children attending the school and she had already spoken to them about the cattle damaging the property.

Manickchand suggested that a meeting be held with the farmers and parents, which she and other officials will attend and speak to them about the sanctions that will be imposed if their cattle are found on the school’s premises.

Bush and snakes

On her visit to the Uitvlugt Primary School where parents refused to send their children to school because of the yard being flooded on the first day of the term, the compound surrounded with bush and snakes hanging on the fences, Manickchand blasted regional officials for not inspecting the schools prior to the opening.

Headmistress Ms Cameron said that whenever the rain fell the school’s compound flooded. In addition, the pipes were blocked and that also contributed to the constant flooding. She said they would normally take sticks to clear the pipes as a means of getting rid of the water.

Meanwhile, the region’s excavator was dispatched yesterday to start the clearing of the bushes around the compound and was expected to be finished by yesterday afternoon.

Noting the vines on the fence, the minister questioned why workers were not assigned to have it cleared as yet. Faerber said they would be there tomorrow to clear it.

Noting that the lack of a visit to the school before opening had caused some parents distress, as they had kept their children home for one week without any teaching, Manickchand said she wanted to advise all parents that school will be in session on Monday and there will be measures put in place to have students make up for the time lost.

When asked by Stabroek News about the Leonora Technical and Vocational Institute, the minister said they are looking to open the institution on January 16 as it has already been equipped with electricity and this will be followed with a telephone line shortly.

She added that they are examining ways to attract more girls to the institution and making arrangements with recruitment agencies to have jobs lined up for the graduates when they leave the institution.

At the Leonora Secondary School the minister met the Mathematics and English teachers. In a brief statement she said work on the school will be completed by this weekend since the contractor was yet to receive some eight special sinks for the laboratories in an overseas shipment. She added that her ministry had made it clear to contractors that if works are not completed within the contractual timeframe, penalties would be imposed as stated in the contracts.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2012/news/guyana/01/07/manickchand-blasts-officials-on-visit-to-region-3-schools/

The national micro credit programme: Women of Worth (WOW) provides women with an opportunity to empower themselves.

The WOW project was officially launched June 4 by President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), and a collaborative agreement was made July 6, 2010 between the government, through the finance ministry, and the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI). 

WOW was established as a micro credit initiative, with the fundamental aims being to improve the socioeconomic status of women in Guyana, promote their active participation and integration in national development, and contribute towards poverty reduction, thereby stimulating micro and macro economic growth; provide access to financial resources and business development intervention for female single parents desirous of pursuing small business ventures, to act as a catalyst in creating an enabling environment (via community development programmes) which allow people at community levels to take advantage of economic opportunities, and increase women’s mobility, security, self esteem and participation in decision making processes at micro and macro levels. 

GBTI has provided G$500 million dollars and the Government of Guyana will provide G$50 million dollars each year to administer this project. Financing, from a minimum of $100,000 to a maximum of $250,000, is offered on an unsecured basis to individuals.  The interest rate applicable to the loan is 6 percent per annum, not exceeding twenty-four months, inclusive of a moratorium of three to six months as necessary. 

Shaleeza Shaw, Head of Credit and Corporate Secretary at GBTI, stated that the WOW Initiative was derived from recognition that single parents are a vulnerable group in society that needs support to lift them out of the poverty line or above the poverty line. 

“We recognise the pivotal role women play in society and the fact that they are more likely than men to spend their income on the wellbeing of their families. Data around the world also show that women are more likely than men to repay their debts. In the wider scope of things, we embrace the philosophy of aiding growth of industry in our economy at all levels of organisation,” she told Guyana Times Sunday Magazine in an interview. 

The ultimate goal of this five-year project (2010- 2015) is to provide intervention and financial support to ensure that recipients of this micro credit initiative manage and sustain successful business ventures. 

To be eligible, female single parents must fall within the ages eighteen to sixty. All recipients of this project must have minimum level of training or skills in the proposed area of business; in addition, they must not be earning more than $40,000 per month.  All those who access this loan must be registered with the Single Parent Registry. 

“It has a low interest rate and they don’t have to have collateral. We saw it as an opportunity to help the younger generation because the loans will help in sending kids to school thus empowering them also,” Shaw explained. 

She noted that since the launch, more than 380 loans have been disbursed, and much more applications are pending, and the staff is working around the clock assessing them. 

“We have an overwhelming response to the WOW plan. Over 1,000 applications received; applications received from regions two, three, four, five, six, nine and ten. Outreaches were held in collaboration with the human services and social security ministry at Linden, Hampshire, Berbice, Anna Regina, Buxton and Fort Wellington… Also, moratoriums of 3 to 6 months [are] offered to help new businesses mature, so that the income generated can service the monthly instalment. Financing is given to help establish, carry on or expand a small business,” she disclosed. 

In a recent interview, human and social security minister, Priya Manickchand had said that this initiative is a fulfilment of the government’s promise to establish a single parent assistance plan and a micro-credit scheme for single parent women. 

In 2008, government invited a number of single parents across Guyana to register, which enabled the drafting of a single parent database register. 

“From then to now, hundreds of single parents benefited from the assistance under this scheme,” the minister said. 

More than 360 single parents were trained in skills that they chose such as garment construction, catering, cosmetology, Information Communications Technology (ICT), child care, office procedures and care for the elderly. 

The minister pointed out that WOW is the “epitome of government’s desire to establish an environment where good public-private relations could thrive and prosper, and underscores government’s appreciation for the benefits of the entire society moving in the same direction as it relates to empowerment of our people and development of our country.”  

She explained that the single largest challenge for the small business enterprise sector, and particularly for women, is access to finance, as they are hurdles in the conventional banking system that simply cannot be crossed by them. 

She stated that good, visionary governance requires the provision of the wherewithal to cross these hurdles, thus WOW was conceptualised. 

In June, the Fiscal Enactment (Amendment) Bill presented by finance minister Dr. Ashni Singh was passed.  The Bill, which amended the Income Tax Act and the Corporation Tax Act, seeks to give effect to a waiver of tax on income of a designated small business lending company derived from loans provided to a small business in a manner specified by agreement. 

“A manifestation of this is the agreement entered with GBTI which resulted in WOW, a micro-credit financial facility,” the minister noted. 

Single parents (women) can visit the Ministry of Human and Social Security to learn more about WOW and to benefit from it. 

Source: https://www.guyanatimesinternational.com/?p=2246

The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) is expected to terminate the services of child sex felon Dr Vishwamintra Persaud, according to Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand, who said she was both “horrified” and “appalled” that the doctor was granted a licence and employed in Guyana.

Minister Manickchand told reporters yesterday at the Bourda Cricket Ground, where she was supporting a rally on domestic violence,  that she was given the assurance by her colleague, Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy, that the doctor’s services would be terminated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSgAvHoV2XI[/embed]Manickchand in her first public comment on the issue, made it clear that she had been asking questions of the relevant authorities since she first heard of the matter.

“I was as horrified as any right thinking person in Guyana could possibly be at the circumstances under which this doctor, one… got registered and two, got hired,”  the minister told reporters.

According to the minister, she learnt about the doctor’s conviction in the press and needed some more information and having been informed that he was struck off the register in the US and the reason behind it she asked questions of the relevant authorities under what circumstances he was licensed and hired.  “Somebody like Dr Persaud with his… background cannot in my view work in a public institution or work as a doctor where he is going to come into contact with women and children,” the minister said emphatically.

The minister pointed out that the Medical Council of Guyana is a statutory body and as such no one can tell it what to do and while in the Medical Practitioner’s Act there is a position for the Minister of Health to refer matters to the council he cannot mandate the council.

Referring to a letter by Sherlina Nageer in yesterday’s Stabroek News, which among other things, accused the minister of a “deafening silence” on the issue, Manickchand said while maybe she should apologise, when she learnt of the issue, for her, “the only thing that was necessary was to make sure that this horrific thing where we have a sexual convict working in a hospital where the public was going to be exposed to him, was to get it reversed.

“I suspect what the letter writer wanted was for me to go public and say [how I felt] and perhaps the writer is justified in expecting that of a public officer, but, quite frankly, for me what was important was reversing that and we immediately did everything that we could to make sure that was not a reality anymore.”

Registered

Some have called for the doctor to be registered as a sexual offender. But the minister said a person is not registered as a sex offender under the Sexual Offences Act but rather under the Prevention of Crime Act.

“For me I am appalled. …The medical council clearly ignored this very serious message this government sent repeatedly over the years that we are not going to be tolerant of any sexual offences against our women and children… they ignored that completely; were blind to it. I am prepared to allow that they made a mistake….

“The Georgetown Public Hospital in their employment of this man where they professed that they knew what he did… their employment of this man is baffling. I don’t see any sane right-thinking person doing something like that and I wonder what on earth Dr [Madan] Rambarran means when he says it is only one child.

“How many children would have to be victims before you consider a matter serious and which child is worth less than the other? I really don’t believe Dr Rambarran was thinking if indeed he said that and if he was thinking then he really needs to review his perspective on this matter bearing in mind the laws that we have and his own humanity towards other people.”

Dr Persaud was granted an institutional licence, which limits him to one hospital and stipulates that he work under supervision, after he failed to submit a certificate of good standing to the council.

Medical Director of GPHC, Dr Rambarran, had said that when Dr Persaud applied for employment it was known that his licence was revoked and the circumstances surrounding the revocation were also known.

On Monday he was summoned to a meeting of the council where he was asked questions and he provided answers and the council is now set to pronounce on the matter. Head of the council Dr Sheik Amir had said that when the council had granted the doctor the licence it was unaware of his conviction and the only issue was the fact that he did not have a certificate of good standing from the country he had previously practised in.

“In terms of these new so-called revelations, I am not sure what is new about them that was already not known, but having said that the medical council would have to determine if they want to re-visit their decision to register him and we would be partly guided by that in terms of if they revoke the registration which means of course we would have to suspend his employment,” Dr Rambarran told reporters recently.

He had stressed that Dr Persaud is competent and that he could reapply for his licence in New York.
According to New York Department of Health documents, on April 18, 2008 Dr Persaud was found guilty, based on a guilty plea, of “attempted course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree.” On June 11, the same year, he was sentenced to an eight-year order of protection, ten years probation, fined US$25,500 and various fees and surcharges.

Dr Persaud abused the child from 2003 to October 2007 and only stopped after an adult was told. His licence, #207867, was revoked in November 2007, following a hearing before the State of New York’s Department of Health State Board for Professional Medical Conduct.

Recently Dr Persaud had helped to save the life of 19-year-old Shinnel George after her baby was delivered by c-section and she presented with preeclampsia. It was upon the publication of a news item on this case that his conviction became public knowledge.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/news/guyana/11/26/gphc-will-fire-child-sex-felon-manickchand/

Holding commemorative stamps yesterday, l-r, Trevor Thomas, Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Shirley Ferguson, coordinator of the Child Rights Division within the Ministry, Bishop Juan Edghill, chairman of the Guyana Post Office Corporation, Minister Priya Manickchand, Dr. Suleiman Braimoh, UNICEF country representative for Guyana, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago and Post Master General, GPOC, Henry Dundas.

Source: (GINA photo) https://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/photos/09/03/manickchand-officially-launches-child-rights-commemorative-stamps/

Minister of Human Services & Social Security Priya Manickchand has said that while alcohol plays a role in domestic violence it must not be seen as an excuse to perpetrate violence.

The minister told Stabroek News that many of the persons who seek the ministry’s help have indicated that their spouses imbibe alcohol.

“But I don’t consider alcohol an excuse for abuse. Voluntary intoxication is never a reason,” the minister told this newspaper when contacted recently on the issue.

“I think it contributes to whatever ills is happening in a person’s mind and should not be seen as an excuse,” the minister stressed.

Last week Magistrate Tejnarine Ramroop had told Stabroek News that alcohol abuse is the root cause of many of the domestic violence cases before him and he had called for the liquor licence regulations to be adhered to as there are too many rum shops in the country.

“I can tell you, 100 per cent of the domestic violence cases before me at the Albion Magistrate’s Court are related to alcohol,” the magistrate had told Stabroek News in a telephone interview from his Berbice home.

He had said it saddened his heart to hear the wives of men who abuse them say “he is a good man when he ain’t drinking but soon as he drink he does this.”

The comments made by Minister Manickchand, however,  were not in response to those made by Magistrate Ramroop.

Major role

Meanwhile, Assistant Chief Probation Officer Marva Williams told Stabroek News that alcohol plays a major role in domestic violence in Guyana but she cautioned that it is not the “root cause” of the problem.

However, she noted that there are some persons who begin drinking from a tender age and they have been socialized to drink and as such they are addicted by the time they become adults and this would automatically affect any relationship they enter.

“However you look at it the use and the abuse of alcohol affects relationships,” the probation officer said.

She said many times while under the influence persons become violent but she was once again quick to add that there are a number of reasons for domestic violence such as persons growing up in a home with domestic violence.

“What I have discovered is that people who imbibe would have other emotional problems but they would use the alcohol to get some sort of strength to deal with issues. So if the person does not have good communication skills or conflict resolution skills they tend to get drunk and then talk,” Williams told Stabroek News in a recent interview.

She said some persons would be “quiet as a mouse when they are not drunk” and issues that bother them “pile up and then they go and drink one day and everything comes up and some react violently.”

Williams said too many men and women do this and over her thirteen years as a social worker she has seen a number of cases where the use of alcohol or the use of some illicit drugs resulted in domestic violence.

She noted that when someone is drunk it is not the time to attempt any discussion with them or worse yet to be involved in an argument as that is the wrong time “if he have to sleep let him sleep because once he is drunk he is not going to be rational…”
Self-esteem

Williams said she has found that a number of women  are of the opinion that their spouses must hit them as it is an indication that they care for them.

“You have women who feel if I don’t get blows they are not loved… It is certain classes of people… they would have had self-esteem problems from the beginning. They feel that ‘this man owns me and when he hits me it is a kind of security.’ Some women move to the stage where they feel they deserve the beating which is a bad thing,” Williams said.

The former teacher said that when she is counselling her clients that is the first issue she establishes and once this is found to be true then she addresses it immediately.

Meanwhile, Williams said in most cases men who are addicted to alcohol only seek the ministry’s help after their spouses would have left them.

“You hardly see men coming unless the bottom falls out… They would come and say I had or I have an alcohol problem, I am getting remedial treatment right now, my wife has left me and I can’t handle it and I am really depressed.”

She said immediately she would take the focus away from the relationship and instead focus on his alcohol problem and encourage him to seek help for his addiction.

“I will say to him ‘I have an open door just come’ but one of the other things I would say ‘I am not going to promise you that our intervention is going to cause your wife to come back tomorrow or ever…’” Williams said.

Williams noted also that she would continue working with the man over a period of time once he keeps coming and after sometime would have elapsed she would make contact with the woman via the phone in an attempt to ascertain whether there is any hope of the two reuniting.

In some cases the woman would have moved on and Williams said she then works with the man in accepting this and helping him to move on too.

For her female clients Williams said it is a different approach as most of them are dependent on the man and children are involved but once there is hitting an immediate period of separation is recommended. They are referred to Help & Shelter for them to be placed in the safe home for a period.

Williams pointed out that as social workers they have been moving out of their offices more and are involved in more community work and they work with support groups such as churches and other organizations in disseminating information.

“And while we are talking we pick up cases of domestic violence like that… And sometimes when I go and do talks… by the time I come back to work people who sat there quietly, they turn up here.

Many cases come to me like that, when you go and do public education you sensitize people and they understand the services that are available,” Williams said.

She acknowledged that sometimes people don’t even know what are the services provided by the probation office and it is good to go and inform them  so that they can seek help when they are in need.

Source: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2010/news/guyana/08/09/alcohol-must-not-be-seen-as-excuse-to-commit-domestic-violence/