Georgetown: The Guyana Police Force urgently needs to implement gender sensitizing training and workshops for police officers, Programme Director of Caribbean American Domestic Violence Awareness (CADVA) Dianne Madray urges.
The CADVA Head during a recent press conference at Pegasus said there are innumerable complaints from women pertaining to the way they are treated by members of the police force.
Offering her own experience recently she said “I have had some challenges with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in reference to Officer Ceasar whom I felt compromised the Babita Sarjou case. My meeting earlier this week regarding Shawnette Savory’s case, the 37 year old female who went missing in August 30th, 2016 triggered some exchanges between Officer Ceasar and myself in the presence of the Crime Chief and I was accused of being unprofessional and it seems cases I am working on could be compromised once again.”
She explained that gender sensitizing is about changing the behaviour and instilling the empathy into the views that one hold about the two sexes. It helps people in examining their personal attitudes and beliefs and questioning the realities they thought they know. There is a difference between sex and gender. Unlike sex which is a biological concept, gender is a social construction consisting of the socially acceptable and prescribed roles that men and women are supposed to follow.
Further, reflecting on her own experience with certain police officers, the CADVA head said she will not be cowered, compromised or silenced as all her actions are accountable and transparent.
“Gender sensitization is especially recommended for lower ranking officers whose attitudes gets besides themselves and can be intimidating to advocates and families. We need to ensure that police officers behave and act in a gender sensitive manner in cases dealing with violence against women,” Madray asserted.
She said 2016 was a challenging year and many lessons were learnt as an international organization doing work in Guyana for the past several years.
“Sometimes it seems as if we are stepping on some people’s toes, this especially comes along when my mouth steps in front of me sometimes,” she noted. “I refuse to apologies to officers ceaser for my words, as my actions over the last thirteen years doing work in Guyana, I have never killed, stolen or taken any bribes from anyone for the work I do.”
Madray said she does not want to see any families victimized because of her outspokenness as there needs to be trust and respect for the families who seek police professionalism in finding justice.
CADVA’s Representative Dr. Mark Constantine said domestic violence and social problem in Guyana continues to spiral out of control. He said the problems exiting in Guyana cannot be solved individually it must be a collective effort on behalf of all stakeholders.
He said the work CADVA has been doing over several years must be recognized and complimented. “Had it not been for the voice of CADVA speaking for those that are silent, many would not have known the truth behind many cases,” Dr. Constantine said.
Acknowledging that community policing groups also complement the work of the Police Force as the members stand as mediator in many cases countrywide, Dr. Constantine said the policing groups also have not been recognized for their tremendous assistance given to the GPF.
He said in 2017 CADVA will be collaborating with other organizations. He said the group should not be seen as a threat to the police force but one in which assists and aids the police in doing their job professionally.
Meanwhile, Madray said CADVA’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence concluded Saturday. The event is an international campaign which takes place each year and runs from 25 November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women) to 10 December (Human Rights Day). Widely known as the ‘16 Days Campaign’, it is used as an organizing strategy by individuals and organizations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
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