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The youth role in Gender-based violence
Dear Editor,
How can young people play a role in sensitizing persons on Gender Based Violence?
Recently, there have been an increasingly high number of reported cases involving violence against women. Traditionally, women have been unequal to men. However, with the adaptations of global legislations and changing perceptions, progress has been made to enable some women to have basic human rights.
Young people make up the majority of the world’s population. As such, youth can create and maintain consistent discussions that can ultimately lead to action. How can young people play a role in Gender-based violence sensitization?
Firstly, I think it’s fair to say that Gender-based violence (GBV) may seem like a new fancy term that has been created by the “white man” but it has always existed. Although, GBV is mainly targeted towards violence against women, men and boys can also be victims.
However, men and boys are less likely to report cases of violence due to shame and toxic masculinity. As such, young people can provide avenues to help both males and females to notice the signs of violence and to know how to help someone who has been abused.
GBV has various forms that include physical violence, emotional violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, human trafficking and forced child marriages. With GBV, the perpetrator (the person doing the harmful act) uses his/her power over the victim. Their power can be influenced through their economic status, age, sex and social status.
It is important for young people to understand that GBV is a stagnant issue not only in Guyana but worldwide. Taking all of this into consideration, young people can address GBV through facilitations with their own age group, creating digital content and having inter-generational dialogues.
Earlier, I wrote that violence against women was a “norm” in the earlier days. If we want to address this large topic, we need to have an inter-generational dialogue with both young and old persons. I am 20 years old and I enjoy learning how persons older than I am view things. Society is changing every single day. Young people need to know that they have older persons as allies or as persons who simply understand. If we ever want to eradicate GBV, we need to do so through education.
On Friday, Advocates for Safe Parenthood-Improving Reproductive Equity (ASPIRE) Youth Network Guyana will be hosting a public inter-generational dialogue at Cyril Potter College Convention Centre at 3:45 pm. Key stakeholders and non-governmental organizations will be present and a panel will make brief presentations to the audience.
Afterwards, a segment for asking and answering questions will be conducted. Truthfully, this dialogue will not be your typical sit down and listen to people preach. ASPIRE Youth Network Guyana doesn’t want you to endure that. With this event, we aim to have a public discussion to learn how people view GBV while collecting suggestions from the audience about ways to go forward.
Most importantly, we aim to move forward. We cannot represent young people by being sheltered. We have to actually speak to young people and to learn how we as an organization can integrate GBV into the school system.
Well, of course, that’s a whole different topic. We hope to see you there. On Facebook, you can enter “ASPIRE Youth Network Guyana” to learn more about the work that this organization has done and plans to do.
Yours respectfully,
Juliana Lopes,
ASPIRE Youth Network Guyana.
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