As a younger nurse, Abigail James has witnessed first-hand the devastating impression of gender-based violence in emergency rooms and clinics. Upon being topped the 2024/25 Nurses Affiliation of Jamaica (NAJ)/LASCO Chin Basis Nurse of the 12 months, she selected her platform to advocate towards violence concentrating on girls and kids.
Her battle has been formed by a number of elements, together with the tragic homicide of fellow nurse Ophelia Wollaston in 2017.
Wollaston, who labored on the St Ann’s Bay Regional Hospital in St Ann, was gunned down by her ex-boyfriend, Alvan Chatrie, simply moments after reporting him to the police for issuing threats. Chatrie, a safety guard and former soldier, refused to simply accept the top of their relationship.
Chatrie was convicted of homicide and sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. He died whereas serving his time in 2020.
“Her dying was a wake-up name,” James informed THE WEEKEND STAR. “Although I used to be a younger nurse, finishing nursing faculty in 2016, it jogged my memory that generally violence does not at all times come raggedy; generally violence is well-dressed and well-spoken.”
Decided to boost her voice towards violence concentrating on girls and kids, James spearheaded the NAJ’s Cease Violence In opposition to Ladies and Kids march in Black River, St Elizabeth, final Tuesday. The occasion, held in observance of the worldwide Orange Day Initiative, was greater than a demonstration–it was a rallying cry. Nurses, legislation enforcement officers, advocacy teams, and group members joined forces, marching from the Black River Well being Centre to Independence Park. On the park, representatives from the Jamaica Constabulary Pressure (JCF) and The College of the West Indies led discussions on home violence consciousness and prevention.
“Violence towards girls and kids is a disaster in Jamaica; it is a disaster on the planet. As a nurse, I’ve seen the devastating bodily and emotional toll it takes on victims,” James mentioned.
Statistics paint a grim image. A 2022 Caribbean Coverage Analysis Institute report additional revealed that 28 per cent of Jamaican girls expertise direct gender-based violence of their lifetime, whereas seven per cent reported abuse from an intimate associate inside the previous yr. The difficulty extends past bodily hurt to incorporate sexual harassment, stalking, monetary manipulation, and coercive management.
James acknowledges that one march will not single-handedly finish the disaster, however she believes within the energy of collective motion.
“Violence thrives in silence. When individuals come collectively, it sends a robust message that abuse won’t be tolerated,” she mentioned.
Her advocacy does not finish with the march. The NAJ, in partnership with the JCF and the Lasco Chin Basis, is dedicated to sustained efforts. James stresses that schooling is vital to breaking the cycle of violence and shifting dangerous cultural attitudes.
“Schooling is vital to success, and generally simply because we do not know, we do not know what to do or methods to reply,” she famous. “With constant advocacy, we will break down resistance and push for actual change,” she mentioned.
