Dear Editor

THE United Nations’ (UN) International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is an occasion for governments, international and non-governmental organisations to raise public awareness of violence against women.
It has been observed on November 25 each year since 2000.

While there have been some significant milestones at the policy and legislative levels and some excellent service providers and community-based advocacy at national and community levels by NGOs, the bare fact is that violence against women specifically and gender-based violence, generally is at epidemic levels in Guyana. The associative factors of gender-based violence, murder and suicide have reached alarming proportions for a country with such a small population.

The situation in the interior is a negative one as shown by the WGEC “Access to Justice” outreach in all 10 regions of Guyana and reported to Parliament with our recommendations. A welcome push forward for Georgetown has come with the recent courts set up to address Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence with Guidelines in place – and with the National Task Force finally activated as the oversight body.

The question remains, however, as to what impact these progressive forward moves will have in the deep rural and hinterland areas – and how they will be effectively implemented there – with the currently inadequate court systems in place and virtually no effective support services, shelters and very limited counselling available?

At one of the WGEC-sponsored parliamentary seminars held in 2015, the then Puisine Judge, Justice Roxane George promoted the idea, via a video recording, of mobile courts being set up using buses and boats to deliver court services to remote communities. There are working precedents for this in other parts of the world, she reported. WGEC calls on the relevant authorities to have an honest review of its level of access to justice and related services for victims/survivors of domestic and gender violence and to take on board our recommendations tabled in order to better avail Guyanese everywhere of their rights to Gender Justice.

The Commission has recommended to Parliament the implementation of a Sexual Harassment Policy at all places of work and educational institutions. This has been accompanied by public advocacy by the WGEC at workshops and conferences and through Bill Boards and the wide dissemination of information and posters in the various regions. Sexual Harassment is rife in Guyana – but without conviction in courts.

WGEC is of the view that the current “catch-all” law under which sexual harassment may be prosecuted is inadequate. We have therefore been advocating for specific legislation on Sexual Harassment with a view towards greater understanding of these rights and violations and attendant services and court support to better prosecute and protect. Sexual Harassment affects all genders and ages and we need to stop sweeping it under the rug where it remains festering in our society.

In observance of 25 November 2017, the Women and Gender Equality Commission held discussions and handed out posters at all the secondary schools around Georgetown. The objective is to reach all the secondary schools across Guyana. WGEC has also advocated for and recommended the establishment of Community Counselling Centres and “friendship benches” across the 10 administrative regions. The recommendations from the schools outreach and these regional conferences would be made public at a Round Table to be held at the Rights Commission Boardroom on 12th December, 2017.

Since 1996, Guyana ratified the Inter-American Convention on the Prevention, Punishment, and Eradication of Violence against Women, known as the Convention of Belém do Pará which defines violence against women, establishes that women have the right to live a life free of violence and that violence against women constitutes a violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms. This was the same year that the Domestic Violence Act was legislated in Guyana – as part of Guyana’s commitments to the Beijing Platform of Action.

The Commission has taken note of all related issues of gender-based violence in Guyana and is especially concerned with what is happening in the schools. We welcome the chorus of voices calling for an end to the violence that affects an estimated one in three women.
In support of what the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his 2014 speech “…we commend all those leaders who are helping to enact and enforce laws and change mindsets. We also pay tribute to all those heroes around the world who help victims to heal and to become agents of change.”

We still have a hard and rocky road ahead to change those norms in our society that accept violence against women, children and all forms of gender-based violence. Attitudes, practices, beliefs are difficult to change. But change is also inevitable. Let 2018 see benign and positive winds of change flow through all Guyana powered by us all to make Guyana & Guyanese stop violence against women and children in all its forms and embrace gender equality and gender justice for all. The WGEC stands in solidarity with all such efforts.

Regards
Women and Gender Equality Commission