The Tribune

The Women’s Association of The Free National Movement has written an opinion piece/letter for publication:

The Women’s Association of The Free National Movement supports all women who refuse to accept the indignity of violation of their person, by being subjected to unwanted and uninvited touch, exacerbated by the assailant’s disregard of explicit demands for the cessation of such physical touch.

In the case of the Member of Parliament for Fort Charlotte and the Member of Parliament for Long Island, Dr Andre Rollins’ failure to immediately end such physical contact when first asked to do so, negates any claim that his action was intended as a friendly embrace. His continued ‘assault’ as he reportedly whispered ‘horrific’ verbal comments, while fallaciously guised as friendly behaviour was, in our opinion, disingenuous and bordered on diabolical, and seemed to beg the well merited reaction of Mrs Butler Turner.

The behaviour by Dr Andre Rollins, Member of Parliament for Fort Charlotte, towards Loretta Butler-Turner, MP for Long island, is not without precedent in the history of male/female relationships, or in the political life of our democracy. Indeed, the nation has endured with odium and contempt reports of physical attacks on women by serving or former senior male members of Parliament. Subsequently, the unworthy comments by the chairman of the ruling party concerning his likely reaction if he were Dr Rollins, while sad, were not surprising.

The Rollins/Turner incident in Parliament is unfortunate, but it highlights the need for open dialogue to address and remedy an alarming depreciation in civility towards and respect for one another but ,in particular, respect for women, in and out of Parliament in male/female relations in personal and professional settings.

Women who offer themselves for service in the political arena are not simultaneously relinquishing their right to common courtesies and decencies which male members of Parliament would demand for their wives, mothers and daughters. While they must fend against inappropriate advances on and off the campaign trail with which male candidates do not have to contend, in the Parliament they should never have to deal with the assaults and harassment often perpetrated, sometimes subtly, sometimes not by “biggity” but really “little” men towards women. There is no place for this unacceptable and demeaning behaviour in our Parliament.

Loretta Butler-Turner was standing in the gap for all women; she was personally and publicly provoked, insulted and assaulted. We accept her genuine apology for her understandable reaction, and we applauded her for the countless times she has kept calm under the most trying of circumstances.

The FNM has always demonstrated by policy and action, respect and confidence in women, exploring and promoting gender equality, equal pay, the unprecedented promotion of women in public and private sectors, and seeking to enact laws and practices to address and eradicate domestic violence, sexual harassment and sexual abuse including marital rape.