Women disarm gunmen

Gender expert Glenda Simms yesterday lauded the efforts of two women who disarmed a gunman who robbed and attempted to sexually assault them.

Simms said the time has come for Jamaican women to seriously consider taking self-defence courses.

"There is so much violence against women; women should be trained in self-defence," she said, while noting that there are cases where women who have been so equipped have been able to employ self-defence skills to protect themselves.

"It can't just be about screaming," Simms said, adding that women are seen as the weaker sex and this perception must be changed.

The Constabulary Communi-cation Unit reported that a gunman who allegedly robbed the two females was disarmed during the fracas on the Heathfield main road in Linstead, St Catherine, yesterday.