…Govt. action alone is not enough to deal with the social ill — Manickchand?By Gary EleazarLast evening, after hours of debating, the National Assembly unanimously approved a motion which seeks to have Parliamentarians commit to using their influence withintheir respective political parties and constituencies to assist victims of violence against women (VAW) to seek help, and to use the laws and support systems available to victims in order to protect the victims and prevent further abuse and murders.The motion, tabled by the Minister of Human Services and Social Security,Cheap Jerseys USA, also secured MP’s commitments to consciously develop programmes for and with men, and more particularly young males, to have greater respect for themselves and women as equals,NFL Jerseys China, and to learn to address conflict situations in a non-violent manner.Manickchand, in her presentation of the motion to the House, called on the male Parliamentarians particularly to set up a body that would actively and vocally seek to eliminate acts of violence against women.According to Manickchand, the elimination of VAW is critical to the development of the country as a whole, and, “We cannot fail to realize that the equality of women was important to the development of the world.”Manickchand said that violence against women and children has been perpetuated for centuries, and in recent time, more and more headlines have been splashed across the pages of the dailies.This she attributed to not just the increase of VAW, but also to the years of hard work to promote awareness among groups such as Red Thread and Help and Shelter, among others.The minister presented an early Christmas gift to the Members of Parliament in the form of a collection of educational materials, such as the National Policy on Domestic Violence, a Household Guide to the Domestic Violence Act, and ‘Woman Powah,’ among others.The minister explained that violence takes many forms. It could be verbal, physical, emotional, withholding of finances, and destruction of property, among others.She noted that, apart from the initial act of violence, there were the repercussions, such as depression, suicide, and substance abuse,Wholesale Jerseys, among others.She told the House that the nature of what the motion sought was in light of the fact that Government action alone was not enough to deal with the social ill,cheap nfl jerseys, urging that much more needs to be done while thanking the organisations which are already actively involved in seeking to eradicate VAW through counselling and assistance.She also emphatically called on her fellow MPs to not just make Thursday’s proceedings in the National Assembly a headline in the newspaper.Manickchand urged that a conscious decision be made, saying that, “Every time a policeman laughs, mocks or refuses to deal with the situation; every time a social worker turns the back on victims, saying that he/she is too busy, come back later, we denigrate ourselves as a human race and dig ourselves deeper into the hole of savagery.”Shadow Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Volda Lawrence, told the House that her party supported the motion by Manickchand. The PNCR has been condemning all forms of violence — be it against women and children, boys and men, or birds and beasts. “Violence must be condemned by all.”Lawrence told the House that the MPs should not only focus on VAW, noting that: “Our energies should be channelled in the direction of addressing other burning issues also.”“What has been done to those men who continue to violate our minors? What about the brutality that is exhibited by some members of the Joint Forces right in the very presence of our children? What messages are we sending to them?“What about the clogged court system which takes years to deal with women brutalised, and gives the perpetrators over and over the opportunity to continually commit this act? What about those who feel that they are above the Law and could commit acts of violence on our women and children without ever being brought to justice?“What about the deficiency in our education system which, instead of challenging and harnessing the potential of our youths, condemn our young boys to become dropouts, delinquents and perpetrators of violence? What about the significant role that the Church once exercised, moulding and upholding the morals in our society?”Lawrence argued that it was sad to report that the State was using the Church as yet another football, a political tool for its own gains, thus eroding the important role the Church can play in this, our violent society.She queried whatever happened to creation of jobs for both men