Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, speaking at the White Ribbon Campaign Rally (A. Miller/BGIS)
A Government Minister has called on Barbadian men to develop stronger relationships among themselves.
This appeal has come from Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs, Adriel Brathwaite, who was speaking recently at the White Ribbon Campaign Rally, Engaging Men as Partners and Agents of Change, Unite to end Violence Against Women, at the Jackie Opel Amphitheatre, General Post Office, Cheapside. Minister Brathwaite observed that a support system between men was lacking, as many did not believe it was "manly" for them to sit and chat about issues which may have affected them. Consequently, he added, that too many males took out their anger on their spouses rather than talking about such issues.
"We need to get men to understand that there is nothing wrong with reaching out, it is not a sign of weakness, but it’s just a way of saying that you cannot do it alone.?? I find that men are not very supportive of other men either, they are quick to say negative things to each other especially if it involves the breakdown of a relationship," he noted.
The Attorney General also encouraged the White Ribbon Campaign members, and other men’s groups, to take their message into the communities.
"Take this message into the hills and valleys and everywhere men may be gathered.?? We won’t know how many people we save, but if we save one person, then that is worth it," he added.??
Minister Brathwaite urged the men gathered to set positive examples for their children and others who they come into contact with.?? He added that violence against women, children or any individual was not the answer.
In 1991, a small group of men in Canada started the first chapter of the White Ribbon Campaign.?? They urged others to speak out against all forms of violence against women. Since its inception, the campaign has spread to over 50 countries throughout the world.?? The Barbados chapter began in 2004, when the Professional Women’s Club, the Men’s Health Group and Barbados Family Planning Association, launched the local chapter.