Red Thread stages protest in Stabroek Square

Mar 20, 2011 News 0

…calls for standard ‘living income’

Yesterday members of the Red Thread Organisation, the Grass Root Women Across Race Groups, as well as victims of domestic violence and rapes, took to the streets calling for what they say is a standard ‘living income’ for mothers and caregivers.
Joy Marcus of the Red Thread said that the protest action is an activity that was planned as part of the group’s International Women’s Day celebration.
She said that over the years many women have said that their income was inadequate. In some cases Marcus said that women are being exploited, having to work long hours for money that is insufficient to take care of their basic needs.
According to Marcus, this issue has also been contributing the increasing cases of domestic violence.
“What you find is that if a woman is being abused by her partner but he is a good survivor, that woman would stay in the situation because she has no means of making life on her own.”
Marcus noted that while it is a fact that women are the backbone of families they are being taken advantage of. This should not be.
“Some women try to make ends meet by getting a job that may require them being away from their homes at nights and then you would find them being reported for neglecting their children.”
Marcus explained that what the organisation is looking for is for a standard amount to be set for working mothers. This amount, she said, should be able to cover their basic needs.
She however noted that the money that is currently being paid out to pensioners is not the sum they are looking for because that cannot suffice.
The organisation is currently in consultation with other stakeholders to come up with something tangible, she said.