Human Services Minister to probe sexual abuse report
MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security, Mrs Indra Chandarpal is looking into reported cases of sexual abuse among female employees in the timber industry. She yesterday said her ministry is "concerned" about the matter raised in the findings from a study done by consultants from the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD). The document has been submitted to the Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC). It was prepared for the British Department for International Development (Caribbean) and Natural Resources International (NRI). The report identified major social issues yet to be dealt with in Guyana's forestry sector. These relate to the living and working conditions in situations characteristic of large timber concessions, Amerindian communities, other hinterland and rural communities and at the individual and organisational level. Minister Chanderpal, although unable to make any pronouncement on the issue as yet, said her ministry will have to study the findings and most likely do a survey and send persons into the fields prior to appropriate action being taken. She added that persons can also be summoned into the ministry and information obtained on a confidential basis. The CARICAD report found there is "widespread incidents of sexual abuse, demands of sexual favours, harassment or subtle pressures to comply". Many female employees in the timber industry live in fear that resistance or protest can lead to dismissal or victimisation, the report stated. The traditional manual operating systems both in the sawmills and logging operations tend to provide more opportunities for men than women. "Female residents at concessions are in a minority and tend to be pressured into relations that result in bearing children for different male partners," the study said.
...commission to take action
THE National Commission on Women is following up findings by the Caribbean Centre for Development Administration (CARICAD) of widespread sexual abuse among women in Guyana's timber industry. The 10-member commission is made up of women affiliated to political parties in Parliament and those with technical expertise. It has instructed Director of the Women's Affairs Bureau (WAB), Mrs Hazel Halley-Burnette to obtain the document for study and relevant action. "We want to see if this is an actual study that was done, reveal areas, number of women and what actually took place. "Based on that, we will discuss what kind of action can be taken," said Halley-Burnette, also Secretary of the National Commission on Women. She yesterday told the Chronicle the commission will have a consultation meeting early next month to study the CARICAD report. Consultants from CARICAD have identified major social issues yet to be dealt with in Guyana's forestry sector. These relate to the living and working conditions in situations characteristic of large timber concessions, Amerindian communities, other hinterland and rural communities and at the individual and organisational level. The CARICAD study, prepared for the British Department for International Development (Caribbean) and Natural Resources International (NRI), found that there is "widespread incidents of sexual abuse, demands of sexual favours, harassment or subtle pressures to comply." Halley-Burnette said this is not the first time acts of sexual abuse have been reported. In the past, reports stemmed from a named timber company and a mining firm, she said. Persons told of acts of discrimination and sexual abuse at these companies but follow up action was hindered, Halley-Burnette pointed out. "(Women) should expose them. If they don't talk about it, other women would fall prey to the same action. If they (women) start standing up, people will begin to listen and look," she said. "(Offenders) can't knock off all the women in the region...We are going to sensitise them (women) and encourage them not to allow this to happen. It is wrong". Halley-Burnette said once women decide to work together and support each other the sexual exploitation will have to stop. She noted that agencies such as hers would have to intervene and help these women to opt for another course of action, and possibly lobby for sexual abuse legislation. The Sexual Offences Act now being looked at is a good ground for a start, Halley-Burnette added. Such an Act would be a first for Guyana. The Prevention of Discrimination Act, now enforced, caters specifically for discrimination but it has no sexual offences provisions. Halley-Burnette said another Act may have to be used to accommodate the sort of sexual abuse spoken about in the timber industry. Reporting the matter to the Police is another recourse for victims of sexual abuse but, as Halley-Burnette put it, "I don't know what the Police can do in this (case)". She said the Police would opt to institute charges in cases where there is an alleged rape or sex with a minor, not instances of sexual abuse and harassment at the work site. Halley-Burnette offered, though: "Women are not totally helpless". When subject to sexual abuse or harassment, women in hinterland or outlying areas can seek advice from any official from the Regional Administration or write to the Women's Affairs Bureau for the matter to be dealt with. "We will try to disseminate information to individual regions... "We have to let them (women) know that they have to expose these people. The strongest thing now is to come together as women and call upon the people (offenders) to stop," she advised. Halley-Burnette said the Chief Labour Officer, whose ministry deals with issues regarding workers and exploitation, should also ensure that something can be done to help victims of sexual abuse and harassment.
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