Arson at hinterland school dormitories − at Bartica, Karasabai, Mahdia and Waramadong − during past and present People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administrations ignited public outrage and rekindled long-standing issues affecting indigenous girl-children which have been denied over the years. The ‘syndrome of denialism’ has led to the failure to identify and solve problems facing them.
Former President David Granger, speaking on his weekly programme – The Public Interest – explained how chronic, systematic denial of evidence of abuse over long periods jeopardised the safety and wellbeing of indigenous girl-children and led to current scandals and tragedies. He recalled, for example, that in the case of trafficking in persons, a female Minister once declared that there was “no real evidence” of such a crime. Another described some cases of TIP as ‘prostitution.’ Another derided the US State Department’s Annual Trafficking in Persons Report as based on “sheer ignorance and eye-pass” and could be considered as “crap”.
Mr. Granger referred to the UNICEF report − Study of Indigenous women and girls in Guyana – which stated that “Indigenous Peoples…experience poverty at twice the rate and sometimes even five times more than the non-indigenous population. They are also less likely to access social services and are suffering from the effects of environmental degradation and climate change on their health and wellbeing.”
Poor indigenous girl-children who seek commercial or domestic employment can be abused or forced into prostitution or acceptance of sub-normal wages. Some are trafficked to ‘kaimoos’ (shanty brothels) near mining camps and to coastal zones for sexual exploitation. One in every four identified victims of trafficking is an indigenous person. Yet, policemen continue to be deployed on municipal chores on the coastland at the expense of human safety and law-enforcement duties in the hinterland.
The former President cited A Guyana Human Rights Report which stated that “Sexual abuse of young girls is widespread in a large number of Indigenous communities with girls as young as 14 being raped”. The Report noted that “sexual abuse of teenage girls, by miners, police and others, is rampant. The UNICEF report stated that 21 percent of adolescent Indigenous girls have begun childbearing − six per cent higher than the national average.”
The PPP/C administration could consider five measures to enhance the quality of life of indigenous girl-children by initiating countrywide education awareness campaigns, including in indigenous languages, about criminal, medical and social issues; improving policing by employing efficient law-enforcement measures and providing assistance for victims of violence; introducing vocational training programmes for poor girl-children, especially NEETS; implementing relevant regulations to ensure recognition of the rights of Indigenous communities; and, instituting a regime of crisis centres and shelters for victims of violence, he proposed.
The former President said that denying that grave abuses have been committed and dismissing credible reports of crimes against girl children because they are embarrassing can result in the needless loss of lives. Every Guyanese girl child should be able to enjoy a good life, he charged.
