My Journey

My name is Sherna Alexander Benjamin, I am 42 years of age and I reside in Trinidad and Tobago, as a child I did not know my mother for a period of time which greatly affected me and in many ways still do, however I also grew up experiencing severe abuse from the hands of my care takers in the house which many thought was a loving home for no one expected abuse coming from a middle class home in a community such as St. James where many professionals resided. That abuse sent me on a self-destructive path and it paved the way for me to become an advocate and a voice for the voiceless.

In Trinidad and Tobago I face various challenges from the rampant culture of acceptance of abuse towards women and girls in various forms to the lack of support from the public and private sectors as it relates to projects, programmes and training for women and girls and for projects or training which deals with the prevention, reduction and elimination of GBV but more so those which encourage men and boys to be agents of change.

When I started advocacy about four years ago I thought that everyone would support because GBV affects everyone and it send ripple effects throughout society, I thought that public officials and even corporate entities would care I was sadly mistaken, it has been a constant fight, one which many times I feel like giving up for it has drained everything from me. This journey has been rough and continues to be rough. Lack of support for women and girls issues is a major challenge for me, I would like to change the way women and girls are viewed, allow for the full participation and personal safety of women and girls at all levels in society, for victims of GBV to be given full support and for a national educational drive while offering training in various areas also looking at men and aggression and for GBV projects and training to be taken seriously.

In the last four to five years I have done various public trainings in collaboration with the National Library and some groups in civil society, participated and hosted community caravans to carry the information to the people in communities throughout the island, sat on national and private consultation as it relates to GBV, provided support to women and girls who have been victims of abuse and violence in the coming weeks I will be launching the country’s first Victim advocacy service center on the 14th February, and even as the days count down while many applauding the initiative and verbally speaking of the critical importance of it they are also saying due to the financial situation in the country they cannot assist not even to donate a desk or chair, and at times I feel it’s not worth it, am I really making a difference as one can have the most workable plans the execution hinges on resource mobilization. I am also pushing to have the country’s first court mandated batterers intervention program established.

To continue successfully no doubt I will need networking with strategic international institutions who can assist us with not only human resources but also with the financial resources and items needed for this center to offer its services effectively and efficiently while changing lives. This center will also be a training hub for women and girls to become self-sustainable and live abuse free lives.

I would like the world to know that the women and girls in the Caribbean need your help, I would like the world to know that I am getting tired, that my voice may be getting weak as I see this issue being trodden under the foot of many each passing day. I need the world to know that I am strong, I am resilient, I am determined and vocal about the things which affects us as women and I would like to see change but I also feel that I am fighting a war and while many applaud what I am doing and the selfless sacrifice and will point out how lives are being changed I feel many times that I am losing this war. I would like the world to know that I need its help.