I am going to dive straight into debate and indicate up front that in this discussion I have a vested interest. My comments, I believe, will be fair but if pressed even just a bit, I will declare my hand straightaway without any qualms. I see myself as a women’s advocate and very clear lines in the sand will always be marked when issues of women’s rights, participation and empowerment come to the fore.
In that context, I must say that I found the comments attributed to Ralph Boyce of the Men’s Educational Support Association (MESA), calling for every child born in Barbados to be DNA tested, personally offensive. Generally, I think that as interest groups attempt to defend the perspectives or concerns of their members, they ought to do so in a responsible way which is balanced and does not intentionally seek to create unnecessary tensions.
I found the statement by MESA intentionally inflammatory. To my mind it created a carte blanche impression of all women as liars, cheaters and persons not to be trusted and from whom all men should be protected. The new spin that is being placed on the comments about the importance of DNA testing as for the long-term scientific good of the society, is like putting cologne on a bad stench. The context of the statement was about the need to protect men in Barbados from the mass of philandering women.
I am fully aware that there are women who unfairly keep fathers from their children. I am also aware there are men who have had children “put on them”, who have been lied to. Is that fair? No! Should men have redress and protection? A big yes.
If this is the case, let’s talk about ensuring that DNA testing is affordable; let’s discuss ease of access; let’s discuss redress for deliberate acts of dishonesty. If the discussion is framed in this way, it might yield more benefits for all concerned. The solution cannot be to paint women in the light suggested and put the burden of proof not on innocence but the presumption of guilt.
The responses from men to the comments attributed to the Attorney General have just added fuel to the fire. When we begin to label people as taking sides because they voice an opinion contrary to yours, I believe we begin to enter into a realm of discussion which is the stuff of four-year-olds fighting in the school yard. You may disagree with how the AG may have framed his comments, but why is his opinion labelled unfair and yours is not?
I understand a little of the anxiety of MESA and perhaps men generally. Women are talkers and for the most part we have used our voices to call attention to almost everything that affects us. We have organized, advocated and lobbied for change in a big way. However, the approach and discourse seems overly defensive. What women have achieved should not be seen as the cause of male marginalization. Our empowerment did not lead to the de-masculinization of men. Life is full of open-ended circles with ebbs and flows in the nature of social relationships which are driven by larger societal and cultural factors. The current status of men is a long result of historical and sociological conditions which should be seen in that light as opposed to being juxtaposed against the perceived status of women.
I for one am extremely happy that men have an advocate to address their issues. Men have every right to ventilate their issues, seek redress and call attention to their concerns. There might be a good few lessons they could learn from the women’s movement.
I would hope that MESA and other like men would join me in calling for a truly independent and comprehensive investigation into the fatal act of domestic violence which occurred recently. While I appreciate the Police Force’s reassurance they would undertake an internal investigation, it is important that justice be perceived to be done. I do not think that we have policemen and women who make a conscious choice to respond any less professionally to cases of domestic violence. An investigation has to be nuanced enough to understand the cultural forces at play and to make recommendations for a long-term redress.
My concern is if you did not have the systems in place to get it right the first time, how can I trust that on your own you will have the necessary hindsight to correctly diagnose the problem?
• Shantal Munro-Knight is a development specialist and executive coordinator at the Caribbean Policy Development Centre.
