Dancehall artiste Java is concerned that the ‘hidden epidemic’ of physical violence against women and children has been worsened by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“I grew up in Seaforth, St Thomas, which is a poor community, and I saw a lot of cases where children and women were physically abused because of the stress of the poverty life. I know that the pandemic only makes it worse, people jobless, dem lose their income, no food, no school, so the people dem need fi hold it even more, yuh see the headlines everyday, but as a people, we have to hold it and be more militant,” Java told the Jamaica Observer.

He is currently promoting the inspirational Stronger, featuring Shaqstar. It was released yesterday and co-produced on the Air Records and New Wavez Entertainment labels.

“I wanted to share a message of hope, and perseverance. The song is telling the youths to be strong, stay militant. We see what the people dem a go through, but we ah tell them that violence is not the answer, despite the pain and anger. We cannot condone any sort of violence. We have to stop the violence against women and children,” he said.

Statistics compiled by the United Nations say one in every four women in Jamaica has been physically abused by a male partner, and 25 per cent of Jamaican women have been sexually abused by men who are not their intimate partners.

Java, whose real name is Sherwayne Stewart, attended the St Thomas Technical High School before moving on to the Seaforth High School.

He recorded his first song, Turn Up the Radio, produced by Flydiewise Production, in 2014. Other standout songs include Zelle Transaction and Better Days.