Women under attack - Activist urges females to come together

In light of the recent spate of crimes against women, feminist and gender activist Glenda Simms says she believes women are under attack and is imploring on females to come together and take a stand for themselves.

"Women are being killed all over the place. When I look at the 88-year-old who was not only killed but [allegedly] raped, it's awful. They murdered her for what she had, but the fact that they raped her tells me that we have to dig deeper. We have to take a stand," the activist lamented.

The 88-year-old victim whom Simms referred to is Nettie Rowe of Runaway Bay, St Ann, who was found dead in her home on May 11. Police said initial investigations suggest that she was robbed and sexually assaulted. Last week, the St Ann police said they had three men in custody in relation to the incident.

Just over two weeks ago, on May 17, 76-year-old Hyacinthia Wright, wife of former Falmouth mayor, the late Joseph Wright, was found with her throat slashed at her business place in Falmouth.

On Friday, 43-year-old Juliet Grant was killed along with her son, Romario Daley, while the two had dinner at their home in Middlesex, Hanover.

WE ARE STRONG

Similarly, on Monday, another mother, Yvette Bailey, 42, was shot and killed, along with her two sons, ages 24 and 14, in Jones Avenue, St Catherine.

These crimes, along with a slew of others primarily perpetrated against women, have sparked Simms, who is the founder of the St Elizabeth Women's Group, to urge women to realise their own power and unite for their own good.

"I operate with women at the grassroots level, and a lot of women like to take the back seat and a lot of women still see themselves as victims. For them to get over that, we need to say, 'We are strong, we will not back down and we will not bow', because they will never ever accept the inherent power of womanhood until we stand up for it," she urged.

"Women leaders in different areas must take a stance. Let us look at the community, go back to the grassroots, go back to the basics, reach out to young women and young men. Hear out ideas and share the knowledge and make sure that we make a difference; and if we do it right, something will fall on fertile soil. I can't give up on my people."