Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey is calling for a discussion about corporal punishment as part of a wider national conversation on violence in society.
He contended that this is necessary to address violence not only at the national level but in communities, institutions, and homes across the island.
Humphrey made the appeal at the Barbados Museum on Sunday, during a ceremony to mark the ten-year anniversary of Jabez House, a non-governmental organisation that helps sex workers find alternative work.
Noting that research has shown that people who are violent towards others often had a history of violent upbringing, the Minister said: “I feel that the time has come really where we need to have a conversation around violence, period; around corporal punishment in schools and in other institutions; a conversation about corporal punishment even in our households, and to talk about it… and what it does and how violence begets further violence.”
“I just feel it’s time for that particular conversation.”
He reflected on last Friday’s shooting death of a sex worker, lamenting that violence against women in that sector often went unreported as these workers were often shunned by wider society.
Humphrey lauded Jabez House founder Shamelle Rice and her team for their outstanding work in helping these women transition themselves from the streets and into safer and more stable forms of employment.
He noted the NGO’s groundbreaking work over the past ten years, such as the HIV and Gender-Based Violence Project which sought to reign in the level of HIV cases that stem from gender-based violence, an upcoming community advocate project which will train eight female sex workers as advocates in their communities, as well as multiple entrepreneurial training workshops for workers.
“These are really important projects,” he said.
Minister Humphrey said the number of women who have transitioned from sex work because of Jabez House’s efforts was encouraging.
“Forty-eight per cent completed transitions from sex work…. Seventy-two per cent partially transitioned from sex work [and] 65 per cent employment rate for those completed transitioned…. This is just phenomenal data and a key indicator, really, on the amount of headwork that went into it,” he said.
In an emotional speech, Rice said it had been a testing decade for her organisation. She recounted stories of women looking for a way out of their situation coming to her, in their darkest hour, after not getting the help they needed from other sources.
“I recall clearly woman after woman saying ‘it’s not that I just want to do this life. I don’t want to be out here, I don’t like doing this, this life ain’t for nobody… but I can’t find a job and I got my children to feed [and] I wish I could get a second chance in life’.
“I knew from then that I wanted to give my life to serve. I will be honest with you and say sometimes I feel so powerless to help these women…. Oftentimes I wish there was a way to sweep everyone off the street and give every woman a life so beautiful that she would never feel the need to sell her body again. When tragedies like Friday night happen, I find myself wondering what more can you do.”
Rice, like Humphrey, was referring to the shooting death of 44-year-old Guyanese Caroline Baird around 11:15 p.m. behind the Grand Stand of the Garrison Savannah last Friday. The mother of four died on the spot after reportedly being shot during a struggle with people in a vehicle.
Rice said despite the challenges, she was confident the work of Jabez House had not been in vain.
“Lives have been impacted, children have been enriched, families and communities are better because of Jabez House and the work we are doing, and this enrichment has been made possible because of support from persons like yourself here today, who have committed to stand alongside Jabez House and partner,” she told the gathering.
