The deflowering of very young girls

Kaieteur News – January 29, 2006
My column – by Adam Harris

Yesterday alone the Kaieteur News ran two reports of men sexually abusing children. One of them has since pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. The other has pleaded not guilty and he is awaiting trial having been remanded to prison.

These are just two cases of something that has become endemic in the society. It is as if grown men can no longer attract women their age and so they prey on very young children. I doubt that it is a case of what happens in some country where diseased men fervently believe that if they have sex with a very young virgin they will be cured.

Some years ago, a Lodge resident lived with a woman who had an eight-year-old child. Her reputed husband sexually molested that child and the woman kept her mouth shut.

Neighbours later said that she feared that she would lose whatever money he brought in to keep the home alive.

Two hundred years

Stabroek News – January 21, 2006

The results of a survey conducted by the UK’s Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) and published earlier this month reveal that according to calculations real equality between men and women could take another 200 years. This was the time frame given for equality in the British Parliament, the highest decision-making forum in the land, while in top management in the civil service, private companies and judiciary it varied between 20 and 40 years.

The EOC survey, titled ‘Sex and Power: Who Runs Britain? 2006′ shows that women make up just nine per cent of the senior judiciary, 10 per cent of senior police officers, and 13 per cent of editors of national newspapers while in other areas, such as heads of professional bodies and arts organizations, female representation is 33 per cent.

Stella says…I think it was the sex article that pushed him overboard

Kaieteur New – January 19, 2006

On Monday I went to put Peeping Tom’s new email address into my computer’s address book (I forgot to do so the first time it was announced). The first entry section was for the person’s first name, so I typed in Peeping. The second section for entry was for the person’s last name, so I put Tom.

Then I realised that “Tom” is not really his last name and perhaps Peeping Tom should all be in the first name section and I gave him no last name. In any case, I am now ready to email Peeping Tom about all of my concerns regarding Guyana , should the mood ever strike me. Not that it ever has yet.

However, it seems that my new best friend, David Jenkins, emailed Peeps when the letter he wrote to the editors of all three dailies did not get published. David sent me a copy of his open challenge early last week too. He really wanted it published, but Peeps was right David, I think it was the second word of the first paragraph that kept your letter out of the papers.  

Stella Says… This is a Week of Historical Proportions for Women

Kaieteur News – January 17, 2006

On Sunday the people of Chile elected a new president; her name is Michelle Bachelet. In fact, Bachelet won the election by a good margin over her very wealthy opponent, economist and businessman Sebastián Piñera. Electing an unconventional woman as president is certainly no small feat for this conservative country that is predominantly Catholic.

Across the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, Africa’s first elected female president, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, was sworn in as U.S. First LadyLaura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looked on. The inauguration was also attended by Bush’s daughter and was watched over by two American warships. This high-level delegation was no doubt a clear sign of strong support for the Harvard economist.

Meanwhile, Germany ’s new Chancellor, Angela Merkel has certainly wasted no time getting right to work. She has been making her diplomatic rounds with a trip to the U.S. last week and one to Russia this week. She has taken a tough stand on Iran ’s nuclear programme, insisting that the country has “crossed the red line” and at the same time is moving toward building a warm relationship with Russia . That is feminine leadership in action.

Red Thread blames decision-makers for ignoring flood recommendations

-Says effects of 2006 floods could have been avoided

Kaieteur News – January 16, 2006

After the floods of January 2005, the Red Thread Organisation had requested to meet with authority figures and other representatives

Red Thread officials said the intention was to provide an insight into steps that could be implemented to ensure there was no repeat of the devastating effects of the flood.

The experiences of women from various flood-affected villages could have provided a considerable amount of information to reduce the effects of the flood and restore life to its former glory.

Casanova Permanent Secretary sparks young woman’s resignation

Kaieteur News – January 15, 2006

Just over a year ago, the government closed ranks to protect one of its senior Permanent Secretaries who was accused of making unwanted sexual attacks against some young female staff members.

On that occasion, Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon reported that an investigation into the report of unwanted sexual advances was inconclusive.

This comment came although one of the victims proclaimed that she had actually recorded one such advance. The end result was that the Permanent Secretary was transferred out of the Ministry.

At the break of this year, yet another young woman has come forward to report an advance that she considered improper. Up until recently, the woman was employed in the region as an engineer. She has since quit.

In a statement issued on January 3, last, and taken by a prominent doctor on West Demerara, the woman detailed a meeting with the Permanent Secretary, having been informed by her Regional Chairman that the Permanent Secretary needed to meet with her at his office in Georgetown.