Woman - Haiti Observer Blog

Who is right? Who is telling the truth?

Josue Pierre Louis said no Rape, Victim said oh yes, there was rape. Not only there was rape but her face was the receiver of many slaps by Josue Pierre-Louis.

Folks here you have it, both videos. You have a chance to watch both sides of the argument.

In the first video below, you will see the version of Mr. Josue Pierre Louis, president of CEP. Accompanied with attorney Reynold George, Josue Pierre Louis stated that "I am not going to talk about Marie Daniel Bernadin, whom he gave the nickname: "Dannie" who was a personal and intimate friend". That: "She was someone he trusted...."

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The Chairman of the Board election, Me Joshua Pierre-Louis is hit with with a major accusation. He is accused of raping his secretary. Mr. Josué Pierre Louis is the current head of the Permanent Electoral Council (CEP)

According to Haiti Press Network, a complaint was filed in the Civil Court prosecutor of Port-au-Prince by one of the secretaries of Josué Pierre Louis who said that she was assaulted and raped by her supervisor.

It was also reported the the alleged rape victim is in the process of being evaluated medical after the abuse to confirm that the rape actually took place. Other important players are actually getting involved in the case such as the organizations defending the rights of women and especially RNDDH.

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Malya Villard-Appolon, the leader of KOFAVIV (Commission of Women Victims for Victims), has been included in one of the top ten heroes of CNN. Her inclusion was attributed to her efforts and campaigns to protect rape victims and to stop such a crime in Haiti. Malya Villard-Appolon was a two-time victim of rape herself. She was raped in 1992 and in 2003, while her daughter suffered the same fate. Despite this, however, Appolon did not give up. Instead, she established KOFAVIV and vowed to seek justice not just for herself and for her daughter but for all the women in Haiti, where the incidences of rape have been increasing.

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Josue Pierre-Louis, President of the Electoral Council is being accused of rape and assault of Danielle Bernadin, a government secretary and graduate of State University of Haiti aged 27 years, at Port-au-Prince in Haiti. She works at the Ministry of the Interior at a position Josue Pierre-Louis had arranged.

Reason for Assault and Rape
He made a demand to see her phone that may have had sensitive information of the government or his nude pictures. Danielle Bernadin did not get anyone's help at Pierre's home that night. No one came to help her, even after screaming for help or security. She walked out with shoes and clothes in her arms and then a man riding a motorcycle took her home.

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With the weak economy and poor living conditions in Haiti, many women, including teenagers, have settled to becoming prostitutes just to earn. Prostitution is illegal in the country but this does not stop women from getting paid for sex. Since the 1940s, prostitution rings have been active in the country and it only got worse as time went by and catastrophes hit the Caribbean nation.

According to a report in 2005, Haitian children were being trafficked in the Dominican Republic, where they were forced to work as slaves or prostitutes. Many of these children were orphaned, while others can no longer be supported and fed by their parents. As a result, they are brought to the Dominican Republic and sold to families and individuals looking for a child laborer. There were reports that the trafficked children have been physically abused too and some were so traumatized they can not recall how they got to that situation.

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On Sunday, 24 March, Miami's Cultural Section of the Consulate General of Haiti honored 12 women for their professionalism and creativity in community and humanitarian activities. This ceremony was held in Miami's Moca Café & Lounge. This ceremony was hosted by Émeline Michel, a famous singer from Haiti. The 12 women were awarded by "Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award". The ceremony was an outlet for thanking these women for their achievements and also to boost their morale for further contribution towards the development of the Haitian community.

The award was given out in turn by François Guillaume II (Miami's Consul General of the Republic of Haiti), Guy François Jr. (Vice-Consul), Mr. Isson Joseph (Consulate's Head for the Section of Community Services) and Cultural Section's Head. The 12 women who received the "Beacon of Hope and Achievement Award" were:
• Émeline Michel - A Haitian Artist
• Jenna Green - Project Medishare
• Dr. Marie Etienne - Haitian American Nurses Association
• Kimberly Green - Green Family Foundation
• Judith Joseph - Breakfast with Santa
• Marleine Bastien - Fanm Ayisyen Nan Miyami
• Rasha Cameau - Haitian Ista
• Nadie Mondestin - Haitian Youth Community Center
• Major Franzia Brea-Burden - North Miami Police Department
• Paola Pierre - HACCOF (Haitian American Chamber of Commerce of Florida)
• Nadine Patrice - Operation Green Leaves, Inc.
• Gepsie Metellus - Sant-La

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Haitian prime minister has recently officially launched the Haitian "Kredi Woz Pou Fanm Lakay" program. This is a program that translates to Pink Credit for Local Women which is meant to provide small loans for women with small enterprises. His Excellency Mr. Laurent Salvador Lamothe, accompanied by the Minister for Women's Affairs and Women's Rights (MCFDF), Ms. Yanick Mézile traveled to Hinche in the central plateau where they officially opened the program.

Haiti has been a country that has undergone a great deal of hardships over the last couple of decades. These have mainly been problems revolving around the leadership of the country where some of the past leaders have taken their power for granted using it for their own personal gain rather than using it for the welfare of the country. This is not to mention the kind of tragedy the recent 2010 earthquake left in the country.

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In the Central Plateau town of Hinche, Prime Minister (PM) Laurent Lamothe and Minister Yanick Mézile of Women's Affairs and Rights (WAR) implemented the micro-lending program, Pink Credit for Local Women (PCLW), which will disburse modest loans to small businesswomen in rural regions of Haiti.

Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe listed the objectives of the micro-lending program: empower women economically, erase the stigma of poverty assigned them, and offer encouragement their lives can be improved.

Government of Haiti (GOH) President Martelly, an advocate of small businesswomen, has spoken out about the effects of micro-lending on struggling, rural female-owned businesses. He emphasizes the financial support given by the micro-lending program will allay many fears women experience in providing for themselves and their families.

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This is the latest insult on the Haitian community. A Radio host in New York city said on the air that: "The reason I am HIV Negative is because I don't mess with Haitian Women". The DJ who made the joke is Luis Diaz, a controversial radio host at radio station HOT 97 in Manhattan.

Many leaders in the Haitian community gathered outside of the studio of radio station HOT 97 to protest the comment made by Radio host Luis Diaz, with his personality name: DJ Cipha.

Later, the DJ apologized for his comments; however the leaders of the Haitian community in New York refused to accept his apology and demanded that he be removed from the radio station, according to manhattan.ny1.com

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This music video "Rel Nou Ap Toujou Fe Eko" is a homage for the three leaders in the Haitian women's movement who were victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Interpreted by Jan Jan Roosevelt, featuring Netty Dugravil, Renette Desir and Robinson Auguste, "Rel Nou Ap Toujou Fe Eko" was written by Marie-Laurence Jocelyn Lassegue, and produced and directed by Regi Chevalier.

Myriam Merlet, Magalie Marcelin and Anne Marie Coriolan, founders of three of Haiti's most important advocacy organizations working on behalf of women and girls, were confirmed dead, following the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010.

Along with many others, these three women gave women voices, fought against violence and made rape in Haiti a crime. One returned to her Haitian roots, to give voice to women, honor their stories and shape their futures. Another urged women to pack a courtroom in Haiti, where she succeeded in getting a guilty verdict against a man who battered his wife. A third joined the others and helped change the law to make rape, long a political weapon in Haiti, a punishable crime.

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