IN Guyana, as we join the rest of the world to observe International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, under the theme, “”Eliminating Discrimination against Women in Order to end Gender-Based Violence”, we must recognize the need for strong action and bold leadership to unite and join forces to end the pandemic of violence against our women and girls. Today, one hundred and twenty-five countries around the world have enacted legislation to ensure that there are penalties in place for perpetrators of Gender-Based Violence. This is a significant step forward, as compared to many years ago. We can see the results of our cumulative efforts today.

Guyana has a strong and robust legislative and policy framework for the protection of women. This includes our National Constitution, which enshrines the rights of women; several international treaties, including the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW); and national legislation, for example, more recently progressive pieces of legislation – The Domestic Violence Act (1996) and the Sexual Offences Act (2010).

I wish to highlight that eliminating Gender-Based Violence in our society is an important issue that transcends all barriers, be they race, politics, culture or geographic location. It is one of the greatest obstacles which can have a significant effect on the advancement of women.  

Violence, as a whole, has a social and economic cost to any society, and seriously jeopardizes the progress and prosperity of the world. However, the human cost to women and their families is unquantifiable, and therefore demands urgent attention.

There are many ways that our men can indicate that they are supportive of women. Change begins with men of honour speaking out to let perpetrators know that violent attitudes and negative behaviours against women are unacceptable in any circumstance.

Violence in whatever form it takes is repugnant to human life and freedom. The right to life and liberty is enshrined within our Constitution, and has the characteristics of being inalienable and fundamental. A life free of violence is a logical extension of these rights. There is nothing remotely excusable about violence against women.
There is absolutely no justification for this.

At the level of the Government of Guyana, we have already clearly articulated a “zero tolerance” policy against Gender-Based Violence.
Despite our efforts, there is need to protect our women and girls from the egregious violence of husbands, partners and male family members. We often learn of homicides and gruesome acts of Gender-Based Violence which occur within our society.

The stories of the victims remind us of how cruel and intimidating violence against women can be, because it often happens in situations and places where you should feel safe, and at the hands of the people you love and trust most; and because escaping it is not only associated with a great deal of fear, but also incredible financial and legal challenges.

We have to change this. Quite frankly, the status quo is not acceptable. To prevent violence against women, we must dedicate our efforts to change some of the inappropriate attitudes and behavioural patterns towards women which exist within our society. We must see our women as having a right to grow up in an environment that is free from violence, neglect, and exploitation. It is important to challenge attitudes that violate those rights, because the way we think and talk about people defines the way we treat them.

In our homes, the supportive role of the family cannot be over-emphasised.  The home is the first and most formative frame of reference after which a child models his/her future life. We need to inculcate positive attitudes in our children, so that, as adults, they will learn to treat other people with respect and decency. We must equally examine our socialization process. Parents have an obligation to be positive role models to their children. Our education system has a role to reinforce these messages.
The bottom line is that no one, adult or child, should live in fear because they feel unsafe in their own home.

At the level of the community, we have to inculcate the value that we should all be our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers. A community is not an impersonal organism. It involves responsibilities and duties amongst which is the obligation to be good neighbours and friends. When we see couples having problems, it is not for us to ignore and pretend that we do not care. Rather, it is our duty to try to offer counsel and advice. The community plays a vital role. The recently launched TELL Scheme aims to empower and sensitize our young primary school girls to ‘tell’ against Sexual Violence. This can only occur in an environment where disclosure is encouraged.  

The escalating culture of violence in general, and the widespread epidemic of Gender-Based Violence in particular, demand intensive and extensive strategic action by all of us in our society. We all must do better to protect our women and young girls.

This year, the Men’s Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security undertook initiatives to encourage men to support the need to end violence against women. I am sure that there are many men who abhor violence against women, but are unsure what needs to be done to stop it. The time is now for us to work together to make a difference in the prevention and elimination of violence against women.

Whilst it has been recognized that there are some men who are abused, the proportion of women who are victims of abuse and violence is greater.

The Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security is developing a National Action Plan from the recently conducted National Conversation on Gender-Based Violence. That Plan will outline the role of government and our partners.

We have seen the need to coordinate our efforts, create synergies amongst ourselves, and fortify and build sturdier support systems, including financial support, for victims. There are too many stories of things that are wrong, and where some victims return to their abusers without help.  We need to make sure every abused woman and girl knows that they are not alone; that there are resources available to them in their moment of greatest need.

To help our women, we need to empower them. Women’s empowerment must be seen as a catalyst for the growth of industry, becoming a key contributor to the diversification of Guyana’s economy. The role of a woman is such that empowering any woman not only affects the individual, but also the family unit, the community, the society and the nation as a whole. There is no denying that women’s empowerment is directly related to national development. The Government of Guyana sees the need to support our women, and also to expand their range of benefits so that they can contribute to Guyana’s national development.

I wish to commend all those who have reached out to victims of abuse. I wish to recognize the leadership of all those non-governmental organisations that have played an active role in advancing women’s rights. We value your contributions and initiatives, which have no doubt saved countless lives and have transformed the way we address these all-too-pervasive crimes. To our corporate and donor partners and friends in the media, we urge you to continue supporting initiatives towards the “Elimination of Violence Against Women.”