Break the silence and end domestic violence

WOMEN ARE the bedrock of our communities and institutions. The participation of women i n churches, school associations and other voluntary groups bears testimony to their willingness to make a positive difference in society.

Women are also making significant contributions to business, education, l aw enforcement and, most important, the nurturing of families.

Women, however, continue to be victims of domestic violence in its many forms and levels of intensity and cruelty. The World Health Organization has reported that globally, approximately 30 per cent of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Other research has shown that one in four Jamaican women has been a victim of gender-based violence.

It is highly likely that each of us knows someone who has experienced domestic violence at some point in his or her life. Most women fall into one of the following categories: victims survivors, silent onlookers, or antiviolence advocates.

Silence in the face of domestic violence empowers the perpetrator, who may very well have been a victim himself or herself. This silence is sometimes driven by fear and shame. Silence allows the evil of domestic violence to continue, consuming potential and promise, destroying dreams and rewriting the stories of so many people.

The tragic biblical narrative of Tamar in 2 Samuel 13 is an indication that domestic violence has been an age-old scourge.

Tamar was raped by one of her brothers, and that atrocity led to a bloody feud, but ultimately gave no justice to Tamar. She was taken from the public square into a private space where she remained a desolate woman.

Today there are many Tamars who continue to writhe in pain, screaming for protection and justice, and if they are not given a voice, they will live in private spaces, isolated and broken.

As a denomination, the New Testament Church of God in Jamaica continues to create awareness and pray for solutions that will l ead to healing and restoration. Some solutions include making women more aware of the governmental and nongovernmental organisations where they may receive help.

The Church, along with other groups, seeks to provide safe spaces for victims and assign life coaches to those affected by domestic violence, especially for those who lack the financial and other resources to confidently rebuild their lives.

We, therefore, need to speak out. The victims need to know that they have people who care and will come to their defence. The survivors need a platform to tell their stories of how they overcame, giving hope to others, and the onlookers need to seek to become anti-violence advocates. Let us break the silence and end the scourge of domestic violence even as the Domestic Violence Awareness Month draws to a close.