“We are the root cause of much problems in society. It is now our time to be the root of solution, to be the root of positivity, to be the root that makes a difference, to be a root that builds a support system. Men on Mission will be the foundation to remove violence against women and children. This is not the responsibility for women, this is the responsibility for us to work with each other. We must make the change. We must drive the change. We must lead the movement of respect, we must lead the movement of dignity, we must lead the movement of pride”
Those were the words of President Dr Irfaan Ali as he formally launched the Men on Mission’ (MOM).
It is imperative that from the inception we applaud President Dr Irfaan Ali on the launching of the initiative to tackle issues affecting men countrywide at a time when domestic violence, abuse, and drug use, among other social issues, are consuming our men – young and old.
The initiative, the president said “…is about shouldering that responsibility. It is about demonstrating a collective will to act. It is about demonstrating a collective understanding of the problem and it’s about demonstrating a collective idea or creating a new system – an institution that supports a modern society…”
As we have since time and time again, the issue of fathers and men and their roles and responsibilities in the family and society has diminished over the years. It is only when Father’s Day is approaching, the discussion about men and fathers are re-emphasised and the need for fathers to take up their responsibilities more seriously, are predominantly discussed.
One of the objectives to the new initiative is to work to curb the issue of violence against women and children by men.
This issue of domestic violence, its trickle effects and impact on society, has on numerous occasions been reported in Guyanese media, but, unfortunately, this continues despite awareness efforts. In this many cases, women often times reach out to the mechanisms available to help domestic violence victims, but all systems sometimes fail them.
In one instance, 57-year-old Savitrie Raj, attempted to escaped her situation after 32 years of marriage, but her efforts were futile in the end.
There is more than a subtle irony in the continuance of this societal scourge in spite of the relentless efforts and the plethora of available mechanisms to inform and educate. The problem appears much larger than reflected in the news, as many cases go unreported. This speaks to the reality being underestimated.
Many reasons have been set forth for what can deter an abused victim from seeking the intervention of the law. Among them are aspects of culture, shame, dependency and its redounding lack of empowerment for some, and the absence of confidence in law enforcement precipitated from the reported trivialising of the issue in some instances.
The magnitude of the impact cannot be underestimated. Many persons have cruelly been made witnesses to the horrific assaults. Those ghastly images, especially when life was snuffed out, are not only lasting, but profoundly traumatising.
While it is always heartening to hear that surviving victims and witnesses to such horrific incidents would be counselled, it would be very informative for all to know the extent of what is available and offered. While expectations would be for what obtains in the developed nations, realistically, there must be something tangible in keeping with available resources, with upgrades foremost in planning.
This is not, in any way, suggesting that there is not an effective mechanism. However, counselling – for both men and women – can be an extensive process for some, depending upon the circumstances. Given the plethora of incidents that unfortunately continue, and which would make added demands on the system, the question of adequacy of trained staff, needed facilities, and support systems becomes more pertinent.
Our men have become violent and this Men on Mission’ (MOM) program cannot come at a better time.
We endorse the initiative and wish President Ali success as he seeks to address the issues affecting men in our society.
