The Jamaica Council of Churches (JCC) says it intends to lead by example in the fight to curb violence against the nation’s women and girls.
In a statement today, the council condemned the “increasing and persistent pattern of violence against women and girls, a recent example being the killing of Khanice Jackson. “
Pointing to a UNDP report on Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries of November 2020, the council said violence against women increased and worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The council called on the nation to unite to protect the nation’s women and girls.
According to the JCC, crime of all forms is reprehensible and demands the nation’s best efforts to find solutions. Gender-based violence including intimate partner violence, domestic violence and sexual violence and abuse are social anomalies in which the vast majority of victims are women and girls.
“We have for a long time observed the negative and aggressive attitudes which have developed in our society towards women. It is believed that violence against women and girls has deep roots in the ways men and boys are socialized, leading to a general culture of disregard and disrespect towards them, the JCC said in its statement.
“Disrespect and disregard for women has become commonplace and sets the stage for aggression and hostility. In addition, the demeaning and objectifying conduct of many persons in the public sphere, including the proliferation of degrading images in our popular culture, have fostered attitudes which have festered for a long time in the psyche of many Jamaican males. We encourage our women and girls to reject these negative images which are portrayed of them, especially in the lyrics many musical productions, the JCC added.
