Campaign in commemoration of the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence
Image designed by Little Big Tone Studio.
From Nov 25th until January, we launched a series of videos to talk about violence against women in T&T in commemoration of the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Hazel Brown
Violence is learned behaviour
"The largest amount of violence [in T&T] is in the home."
We can't keep teaching violence to children and wondering why they grow into violent adults. We can't keep allowing children to see their mothers being abused and pretend they won't grow up with that trauma.
We can't keep believing that all this violence is born in a vacuum.
Message to women and girls in T&T
Nikki Crosby is a survivor, and she wants all young girls and women in Trinidad and Tobago to know that you're capable of getting through whatever kind of abuse or assault you've been through.
Follow Not Okay for more videos to help us make T&T better.
Ria Ramnarine: no means no
"If she says no, it's no. Don't push it." -- Ria Ramnarine
Let's all please respect women when they say no.
Pauline Cooper: Why Women Stay
We like to say that "she gone back for she licks" when women go back to abusive relationships. But no woman likes getting beaten. Especially not by someone they love.
Pauline, an abuse survivor, explains why she stayed in an abusive relationship for so long. Let's take our time instead to understand why women stay in or go back to abusive relationships, and we may be better equipped to help them stop.
Message to other abused women in T&T
"I can relate to your story and you can relate to mine."
Vanessa's message to other women who have been abused / assaulted in T&T. Other women have been through this and you definitely have nothing to be ashamed about.
Sashana: Message to women re: abuse
Sashana has a very powerful message for abused women in the Caribbean.
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Ria Ramnarine: How men can stop abuse
Ria Ramnarine has some incredibly important advice to men in T&T to help us put a stop to the violence against women in our country.
Nisha B: Mental Abuse is also Abuse
You may not think you're being abused if you’re not being hurt physically, but emotional and psychological abuse are also forms of abuse, and they can have very serious effects on a person.
Not all abuse is physical, but abuse in a relationship is never okay.
Ria Ramnarine: Strength
Sometimes we stay in abuse because we don't feel strong enough to leave or to be on our own, but even if you need help from someone, you can find that strength. ?
It's also important that young girls growing up in T&T have strong female role models to look up to that let them know it's okay to stand up for yourself.
Effect of domestic violence on children
Pauline describes what it was like being a child in a house with domestic violence.
Ria Ramnarine: advice to women
"Even though the guy might snap in one night, it would have been a process and the first thing we need to do is to recognize that."
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With the increasing number of women being murdered by domestic violence and young girls getting into physically abusive relationships, Ria Ramnarine's advice in recognizing that abuse doesn't happen overnight and it is a progressive thing is very important.
Nikki Crosby: To women being abused
"You being abused and they so apologetic about it after".
Listen to Nikki Crosby's message for girls and women in T&T who stay in or go back to abusive relationships.
Physical Abuse escalates
"If it's a slap, if it's a hit, if it's a pinch, if it's verbal abuse, you need to really acknowledge it because you don't want to be a victim because these things escalate."
Even if it starts off small, it's very important for you to know that abuse can escalate to dangerous levels.
Violence in a relationship is not okay
"Teenage girls are being abused now, going to school with black and blue marks."
We are experiencing too much violence towards our women and young girls now