#TellItToTheJudge so we #ARMAllWomen and see #NoWomanLeftBehind

At the end of the week before International Women's Week, I got tired of seeing people still not understanding what is available to them in terms of combating the harassment we face as women, I posted an excerpt from the Barbados Minor Offences Act to my Facebook wall followed up with an interview with my current favorite online news publication (yes, yes, I am biased, I'm allowed, they have so far shown a habit of keeping up with the right things, while maintaining their ethical standpoint instead of the usual habits of sensationalism and the infernal click-bait moments)

We as a country (B A R B A D O S) have a lot to do, a lot of unpacking, sorting, throwing out and repacking to do. 

We have the laws in effect as I showed in my facebook post that prompted Loop to interview me, but few people seem to have an understanding, well to be honest, a functioning knowledge of the laws. 

I grew up in this country, in this climate, where I feel more like meat being parading past packs of starving hyenas most days, than a living breathing woman. I know what it's like to be too petrified to react to harassment or assault. 

It still happens to me. 

Down to Valentine's Day, it happened to me, in plain view of one of my closest friends and I froze. 

See the vendor we were dealing with, trying to buy gatdam' CUCUMBERS and tumeric from, thought I was sexy. I know because he told me this three flipping times since I had passed him twice before my friend stopped to buy the infernal cat scaring phallus shaped veggies, and then to seal the deal, once more by GRABBING MY BLASTED HAND, TO WHISPER IN MY EAR LIKE THE DIRTY OLD MEN OF ALL AGES, THAT HE THINKS I'M SEXY AND WOULD LIKE TO BE MY 'FRIEND'. I for all my tough exterior appearance froze, for many reasons. 

I was not alone, I was with a friend, we were supposed to be going home to her husband and daughter, they were expecting us. He was a fruit vendor, they always have knives on their trays, if I reacted too badly, he might have drawn for it, and swung, what if he caught my friend? I was tired, I had had bad experiences with about seven different men BEFORE him, five of them in the space of Broad Street, two of them along the stretch of George Street, what if I was overreacting? 

Or... Nah. 

All of that thought process right there took a split second before I got enraged, and went to throw my drink on him, but, my built in safety protocols warned me against it, and I cussed his ass right out! The rage built up in me, and I found myself trying to get as far away from him as I could and ended up stepping off the curb into the oncoming traffic that was filled with drivers NOT impressed with the angry, gigantic woman in the middle of their lanes when she had no right to be. 

I nearly got myself killed because of a STUPID man who did not understand boundaries. Okay, that's an exaggeration because I would have been to blame for it, as it is solely my responsibility to make sure my big and tall, grown up ass adheres to the rules of crossing the road. I rescind that comment, it was my fault and I shoulda just threw the drink on him to get it out of my system. 

Right, back on track with my train of thought, the Minor Offences Act. 

My new favorite law!  

In Subsection 2, of Section 2 of this act you find out the definition of harassment BY THE LAW ITSELF: 

(2) For the purposes of this section ''harass" means to

(a) use words, gestures and actions that annoy, alarm or abuse a person;

(b) insult, taunt or challenge a person in a manner likely to offend;

(c) use obscene and profane language to intimidate a person; or

(d) disturb or irritate especially by continued and repeated acts.

                                                   —————

Yuh see da piece ah legislature right dey so? 

MEMORIZE IT. 

There are officers in the force right now, who did NOT know this. It is not their fault, we have HUNDREDS of laws, and that is in Chapter 137, if they never had to address it, they wouldn't even know it's enforceable. I know because I asked. I was told they MAY not be intentionally being dismissive, but it's now time for them to familiarize themselves with these laws.

Here's the —> interview <— in case you missed it!