Domestic violence is regarded as a universal phenomenon; a social disease that is not prejudiced to any race, creed, religion, sex, social class, ethnicity or nation. It has a vast impact on all sectors of society and is a topic that is not touted in the media and on talk shows. This ill in our society does not receive the same level of attention as crime, politics or immigration - topics that arouse emotions and spark the interest of the average Bahamian.

The reality remains, however, that many women suffer daily at the hands of violence in silence, shame and embarrassment. It has become apparent that with the social degradation in our society, a disturbing trend has evolved as violence against women and girls either sexually or physically is on the rise based on reports publicized by the media.

 Over the past few years, we have witnessed an unprecedented amount of crimes against women - particularly young ladies who are either abused by sexual predators who are either strangers or family members and homicides emanating from domestic disputes or bad associations. The details of some of these cases have been gruesome, becoming high-profile cases, affecting young people and no doubt gripping the nation as many watch and listen in horror. Unfortunately, with every passing day and each new report, the stories appear to be the norm rather than exceptions. It was reported in 2010 and 2011 that domestic violence accounted for at least half the murders in The Bahamas; also reflecting violence against men and boys.

Definition of domestic violence

 The starting point in confronting the menace of domestic violence is understanding what it constitutes. The landmark Domestic Violence Protection Order Act of 2007 defines domestic violence as physical, sexual, emotional or psychological or financial abuse committed by a person against a spouse, partner, child or any other person who is a member of the household or dependant. The act goes on to define emotional or psychological abuse, financial and physical abuse as well as harassment and stalking, among other things.

 Orange Day

 In light of the above, it was fitting that Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki- Moon launched the UNITE campaign to end violence against women - a campaign which initiates a plan of action to bring about more awareness to domestic violence including an 'Orange Day', actions to be taken by governments, schools, civil society and the corporate world.

 International Day for the elimination of violence against women is held November 25 each year. However, the UNITE campaign encourages countries across the globe to celebrate 'Orange Day' on the 25th of each month to bring an awareness and encourage debates and discussion on this ill that is considered to be a human rights violation. It is noteworthy to state that the campaign this month focused on 'Safe Homes for Women and Girls'.

 The government and domestic violence

 The reality is that there are very view safe houses for women in The Bahamas to run to after falling victim to domestic violence. In this regard, the UNITE campaign encourages governments to allocate resources and funds to create awareness and bring about prevention.

 It is imperative that the relevant ministries in government understand the need to increase the budget even amidst financial constraints to combat this ill. It is no surprise therefore that several countries across the globe have created a domestic violence unit in their police departments to assist with addressing this issue and have trained police officers to effect community mobilization, provide awareness of laws and work with young people.

 The government must also make every effort to improve statistical research and data on violence against women and girls. In her contribution at the 57th session on the Commission on the Status of Women on behalf of Caribbean Community nations, Jennifer Webster, minister of human services and social security in Guyana, pointed out that lack of resources for research and proper data collection remain a challenge faced by countries in the region. In the absence of such data, there exist an impediment to timely and accurate updates to implement national policies addressing these concerns.

 The government should also consider other initiatives in partnership with civil society to address the issue of violence against women by creating more safe houses and providing other forms of funding for items such as legal assistance.

 Education

 Education remains at the core of ending violence against women and must be encouraged at the earliest age possible. In this sense, schools, civil society, religious organizations and corporate Bahamas must embrace their various roles in helping to combat this evil. If we were to hypothetically apply the ratio reported by the UN that seven in 10 women have been victims of some form of violence, it follows that a substantial amount of individuals in the circles of people we interact with in our personal, professional and spiritual lives are or have been impacted by this social ill.

 The UNITE campaign proposes that activities that educate on and seek to eradicate violence against women should be incorporated into school curricula or through other forums such as essay competitions, art contests, seminars, conferences and workshops. These are effective ways of getting the message into our communities and creating awareness among both educators and students.

Corporate Bahamas

 Corporate Bahamas has a major role to play in this fight and corporate citizens can implement initiatives working with local non-government organizations geared toward ending violence against women. Sexual harassment in the workplace is another topic of discussion that is not adequately addressed, primarily because neither victim or perpetrator is often aware of what constitutes sexual harassment and what forms of redress are available to the victim.

It is important that companies and businesses incorporate policies relative to sexual harassment and other offenses based upon local law into their employee manuals to sensitize their staffs to this topic.

 Civil society

 Evidently, civil society can partner with the government to bring about and help strengthen laws that seek to prevent violence against women. Technology, social media and other forms of media should also be used to create awareness about gender based violence. More importantly, the media must recognize its strength and role in fighting violence against women and sensitizing the general public to the same. This perhaps is one of the most effective ways in bringing awareness to this grave ill.

While the economic downturn does not provide a direct correlation to the increase in violence against women, one cannot rule out the current state of economic affairs as a contributing factor. Such conditions render women more vulnerable to exploitation and violence. It is true that many women fail to leave abusive relationships because they are dependent upon the economic support of their spouses, partners or significant others. It follows therefore, that the government must implement policies and create an economic environment that will encourage women to become educated to qualify for sustainable jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities that can create some form of independence for women. Consequently, ending violence against women remains at the core of ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women.

 Everyone's responsibility

 Meanwhile, we must all unite to eradicate this phenomenon from our society. Ban Ki-Moon is quoted as saying, "Break the silence when you witness violence against women and girls, do not sit back. Act." These are words that we must all reflect upon and ask ourselves, are we doing enough?

o Arinthia S. Komolafe is an attorney-at-law. Comments can be directed at commentary@komolafelaw.com.

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