KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has held its ground in including dancehall artiste Bounty Killer in its free concert being staged in recognition of International Women’s Day 2017 on March 8.

In a release Saturday, the ministry noted that the entertainer, whose real name is Rodney Pryce, has “a special message against domestic violence”.

Read: Group wants Bounty Killer removed from line-up for concert against gender violence

This is despite public outcry from civil rights group Women Empowerment (WE)-Change and several social media users.

WE-Change argued that Bounty Killer is a known perpetrator of violence against women and his inclusion in the line-up of performers is a slap in the face to women who have been abused.

The group said it was disappointed with the ministry and demanded that the entertainer be removed from the line-up or the concert be cancelled.

However, the responsible ministry yesterday quoted portfolio minister Olivia Babsy Grange as saying “all men and all women can contribute and must be engaged,” in what she considered to be a national project to end gender violence and promote healing in families.

In an effort to sum up the Government’s central message on addressing the hideous crime of gender violence, especially violence against women and children, Grange said “We can end the violence; it requires all of us to end the violence”.

Without indicating that the release was in response to concerns raised by WE-Change, the ministry said Grange’s statement  — which is guiding policy and the development of gender initiatives in the ministry — are two important positions.  

First, violence against anyone (women, girls, boys and men) is not inevitable.  The violence does not have to happen and therefore it can be stopped.

Second, each person, without exception, has a role to play in eliminating gender violence.

International Women’s Day, the ministry said, provides it with an opportunity to engage directly with members of the public who do not pay attention to gender issues, who consider domestic violence to be normal, who consider certain acts of violence against children to be acceptable and even desirable.

In addition to the usual activities that celebrate achievement and highlight the state of women in Jamaica, the Ministry is, with support from the Aids Healthcare Foundation Jamaica and various other partners, organising a march and concert on International Women’s Day to call the nation to action to end gender violence.

The concert, which is among other Women’s Day initiatives organised by the ministry, “is both a public education activity and part of a process of healing a nation traumatised by acts of violence.  In this regard, women and men have been invited to appear on the programme to speak candidly about their gender violence experiences,” explained the ministry.  

The ministry said it is grateful to those who have agreed to reveal their pain and/or their regret on this public stage.

It expects that these testimonials will have two main effects: empower men and women to leave abusive situations and take action against their abusers, as well as encourage abusive men and women to recognise that they have a problem and to seek help.  

All decisions about the planned International Women’s Day concert at Emancipation Park, New Kingston on March 8 were made with these outcomes in mind as well as how to effectively reach the various target audiences, the ministry added.  

It further argued that: “We must be bold to bring about change.  It is time we all take a stand — even past abusers who recognise they had a problem and have taken steps to change behaviour; and anyone who has ever used violence to discipline a child.”

“We can end the violence; it requires all of us to end the violence,” said Grange as she called the nation to action: “Let’s unite to end gender violence.”

The free concert will be held at Emancipation Park on March 8 will begin at 6:00 pm.  The concert will follow the Be Bold for Change March, starting at 4:00 pm, from Emancipation Park to Trafalgar Road and back.  Registration begins at 2:00 pm.

The concert will feature some of Jamaica’s best women singers including: Marcia Griffiths; Etana; Queen Ifrica; Judy Mowatt; Carlene Davis; Sister Pat; Nadine Sutherland; and the all-female band, Adahze.

In addition to Bounty Killer, the line-up also includes several other male entertainers who have answered the call to join the movement to end violence against women and children.  Among them are: Tony Rebel; Razor B; Tarrus Riley; Ruff Kutt Band; Ity & Fancy Cat.