In the power halls, anything goes. So often are accusations of physical and economic violence that politicians and the public have adopted a blasé attitude towards it all. It is just another event within a long list of events that will fade from memory as soon as the last. The impact of this unverified authority continues to see deliberate harm being done through parliament on the public and the women in it.
Little guys and big egos remain a dangerous mix where their need for power and control often shut down everything else. Those who get into their bad books or annoy them in some small way are sure to face the weight of their anger. Recipients often have little right to justice, especially if they do not have the resources to wrestle with the protection that their abuser’s office and its rich and powerful allies provide.
When former Minister for Public Services, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley came forward with her account of an attack committed by the embattled Kwame McCoy, how quickly attempts were made to discount and criticize him in the grip of McCoy, it drove home a point we have always known, to a large extent society does not give a damn about women. Although it can be said that she operates from a position of privilege and connection to power, her experience shows that violence against women is not just tied to the constraints of the home but exists across all areas social, political and economic. .
The response of National Assembly Spokesperson Manzoor Nadir mirrored the reaction of former President Bharrat Jagdeo in 2015. This is when Kwame was accused of soliciting sex by a minor. After the government remained mum on the allegations of Kwame soliciting sex with a young boy, Bharrat’s response was largely that it would be guided by police and court findings. Therefore, Manzoor’s response that the matter stops on the police findings is disappointing, though not surprising. It is a pretty dangerous pattern though, to continually send the message to women and children that their experiences of violence are not valid unless the police system and the courts find their abusers guilty. Those who do not have documented proof of the crimes committed against them are shown to be unbelievable. With very low rates of survivors opening up about their experiences, this is not something to be encouraged. What we know about policing and judiciary systems is that they are fundamentally flawed. On a good day, the police fail to connect the most basic of dots, when one adds the dynamics of money, power and prestige, the reliability of the police and their crime-solving skills decrease dramatically.
Concerns over false allegations of abuse are much more free as false allegations are very low. The reliance on this narrative that it damages the reputation of the accused is usually used to defy survivors’ experiences. Usually it is the reputation of the women who come forward who are significantly harmed as they are those who are branded as liars, attention seekers and trying to cause trouble to obedient men to the law otherwise. This is even more pronounced when survivors of abuse do not fit the narrow mold of the “perfect victim.”
Given how easily men continue to live and continue to be affected by accusations of violence, often gaining even more support from followers, the reality is that very little is being done to reputation. This is why despite several other allegations of violence brought against him, at least one of them was found guilty; Kwame has been awarded a Ministerial portfolio in the governmental administration. If nothing else, those with aligned class interests will always keep an eye out for each other. There are many men from the governing party, the Opposition and other small parties who have a known history of violence ranging from pedophilia to financial abuse and very little is done about it.
The women in these parties remain mum, because in the end, distracting the party line is more important than calling out the violent and predatory nature of their comrades. So they appeal to their conscience with vague statements and grand optics without ever deviating from the party script they are given. It would be unfair to say that these female leaders lack agency in the choices they make in remaining silent in the face of the wrongdoings of their colleagues. It is far fairer to say that they are prepared to understand the particular standards from which they benefit. Political leaders continue to show that, as long as service to a party remains true; all evil deeds can be turned a blind eye.