In ABA's Perfect Tech World

When I was a child I watched a cartoon titled "The Jetsons", where cars flew and technology ruled the world, or at least it was heavily relied on to even brush ones teeth.

I wondered what the world would evolve too by the time I was 40 and if it would see me take my first "fly" in a car and have my teeth cleaned by a brush that didn't even require me using my hands!!.

Instead, I am 44 and praying that my country adopts the technological advances being made globally in the fight against crime, namely the criminal act of domestic violence, gender based violence and abuse of any kind.

My heart aches for each woman that lost her life simply because we, Trinidad and Tobago, have yet to understand the gravity of the impact that abuse and domestic violence leaves on all involved.

More so, because we have had one of maybe the best solution, for close to a decade and did not utilize this technology which could have, would have and can save lives.

My history:

I am a victim turn survivor, turn advocate and on days when I have to continue to rely, like thousands of others, on our existing Protection Order (ah piece of paper), I revert to victim.

My cause:

The ABA Movement.

ABA is an acronym for All for Bracelet Alerts.

As the founder and spokesperson for ABA, I have begun publicly speaking out and demanding that our present government amend legislation (the Domestic Violence Act) to implement GPS tracking bracelet alerts, a corresponding Victim App Alert and mandatory counseling for all, including the abuser as a condition of his/her bail.

In a time when there are trackers on pets, when marine life experts utilize GPS to document stuff happening thousands of feet in oceans across the world and stolen vehicles can be retrieved through a chip no bigger than my pinkie nail, we are still relying on victims to alert the protective services that our abuser is about to or are attacking us.

There is a whole heap of internal peace to be had when a victim is assured through these trackers that our abusers/attackers will not, cannot breach our Protection Orders, without us and more importantly the police knowing.

That our continued mental, even if not physical, abuse will not end in our deaths.

Recently our country's Attorney General, Faris Al Rawi, rekindled the conversation about amendments to see the enforcement of electronic devices outfitted to perpetrators of domestic violence.

I smiled, because this is my heart's desire.

Then I heard him, (in a newspaper report and on television) state that this had been before parliament during the period 2011 to 2015 and I wanted to cry.

In fact, I did.

Not only for myself, because I sometimes have to force myself not to think about the fear that nudges at my insides whenever I recall the death threats leveled at my family and me. I cried for the many women, mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, best friends, girlfriends, who were killed but for the passing of a law that should have allowed them to become survivors.

That should have seen them not die in fear, as they had lived.

I write this and my heart is still heavy, despite having been on television just last week to speak out against gbv and on my cause. 

I pray that my daughters and their daughters will never be subjected to abuse of any kind and that God forbid they are, they are afforded  the REAL protection that should already be in place because of technology.

It is this technology that is also giving me and ABA a bigger voice, as our online petition has reached 198 supporters and counting, from a variety of countries.

Thanks to World Pulse and our members who commented, signed and supported ABA's petition. Rest assured you will be one of the first to know when ABA lives rightfully, comfortably in a perfect tech world...lol.

Please continue to comment, sign and share ABA's petition at http://chng.it/yMBksKgh