By:Curtis Morton
Charlestown-Nevis- It was the innovative idea of Miss Shakema Stanley, who is a Social Case worker at the Department of Social Services.
Within the last two weeks, Miss Stanley hit the streets of Charlestown, with a program she has aptly dubbed ‘Talk To Me,’ which focuses on current social issues.
For her first program, she focused on the issue of ‘domestic abuse’ and prompted those persons willing to participate, with some relevant questions such as:
What is domestic abuse?
Are women more affected by domestic abuse than men?
Interestingly persons who represented a wide and varied cross section of the community, spoke to domestic abuse extending beyond physical abuse and explained that it also involves psychological; social; financial; sexual and other forms of abuse.
The point was also made, that men are sometimes abused by women but because of their ‘macho nature’, they sometimes refuse to report such abuse.
Miss Stanley noted that the particular emphasis on domestic abuse at this time, was in keeping with the United Nations’ sixteen day campaign, which focuses on the sustainable goals, with an emphasis on ‘leaving no one behind.’
According to Miss Stanley, the program will continue in the near future and persons on the island can prepare themselves to be asked to address similar issues.
The first edition is scheduled to be aired on the Ministry of Social Development’s television program, ‘The Social Development Outlook,’ which is scheduled to be aired on the evening of Tuesday 12th December.