Leave Me Alone

Abstract

This chapter analyzes violence against women (VAW) and intimate partner violence (IPV) using contextual factors of intersectionality and familial, political, and sociocultural paradigms as the lens to analyze violence. Targeted evolution of social, cultural, and political frameworks is needed to elevate the status of women in Trinidad and Tobago, educate men and women about violence and IPV, and equip people with tools to break generational cycles of violence. The adverse health effects on women and children who experience violence and IPV are long-lasting and severe. Although the government of Trinidad and Tobago seeks to create policies that combat IPV, changes in attitudes and societal stigma have a stronghold. More grassroots campaigns, bold statements by pop culture, and subsequent sociocultural progression of attitudes toward VAW and IPV are needed to create a culture of consent during Carnival.