Haitian singer Liseberth Guillaume shines a spotlight on domestic violence with the release of her single and video “Kisa’m Pa’t Fè?” The song addresses physical, verbal, and sexual abuse.
Why did you select this subject matter?
I do wish in 2019 I did not have to address domestic violence in our community, unfortunately, it is the most overlooked topic. I wanted to be the voice of all victims and survivors, I wanted to share their stories by exposing the ugly truth. It is a message to the population to encourage them to leave their abusers and letting them know domestic violence was never and will never be tolerated. And that this was just to re-emphasize that through an art form (which in this case is my music).
Why do you think this topic is so taboo in the Haitian community?
Domestic violence has been going on in our community for decades, to the point that we became immune to this matter. Due to the fact that we do not have a system established to protect us from physical, mental and sexual abuse, people fail to acknowledge it as a crime. Therefore it gets overlooked or put on the bottom of the priority list. And from a social perspective, the embarrassment and lack of policing over the issue make victims less willing to even come forth with it, leaving it to be an “issue in secret.”
What can we do as a community to raise awareness and provide assistance for victims?
I am sure that there have been prior efforts and for me as an individual, I have taken the first step by releasing “Kisa’m Pa’t Fè?” As a community, we need to stop ignoring the importance of domestic violence and its impacts. A support system needs to be created where victims can openly share their stories, and seek help without being judged. We need to end domestic violence by joining forces and stop tolerating and protecting abusers. I’d say bring in some government aspect of the support system. A fair one at least that is fair to the accuser and the accused.
Watch the video below:
