Many women still suffer from economic abuse in the rural areas of Guyana

Dear Editor,
When people think about domestic abuse, most people think about verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. Few people think about economic or financial abuse. Economic abuse is one of the most common forms of abuse, occurring in ninety-nine per cent of domestic violence situations.
Economic abuse involves maintaining control over financial resources, withholding access to money, or attempting to prevent a victim from working and/or attending school in an effort to create financial dependence as a means of control. Economic abuse is a very common reason victims stay in abusive relationships.
Since Avon, the cosmetic company has closed down for years, many women have remained housewives. Every housewife in Guyana needs a part-time job, especially women with large households of more than two children. Therefore, with these part-time jobs the vice president, Hon Bharrat Jagdeo implemented, many women across the regions should take immediate advantage as quickly as possible.
I urge women with large households who have more than two children to help your children more often in obtaining the resources they need for schooling and for themselves.
The famous actress, Preity Zinta is a humanitarian for women’s empowerment. While receiving her honorary doctorate at the University of East London, she mentioned in her speech, “When growing up a girl is dependent on her father, when she is married, she is dependent on her husband and when she is old she is dependent on her son. Women should not be dependent, instead they should be the master of their own destiny.”

Yours sincerely,
Ann Singh