Dear Editor,
AS far as women are concerned, Guyana appears headed towards the Middle East – incalculable oil wealth together with a stone-age attitude to women. The shocking upsurge of violent murders of women by their present or former partners in Guyana over the past ten days has yet to produce any notable reaction from politicians, perhaps too absorbed in the new oil wealth to notice the mayhem in communities. This disconnect between political parties and electors with whom they are supposedly inter-acting intensively is not new.
We would like to believe the vast majority of Guyanese men feel revulsion towards the perpetrators of violence to which Guyanese women are exposed. However, this perception is not supported by effective action on their part. Similarly, civic and faith-based institutions, administered predominantly by men, appear equally undisturbed by the violence which play into the repression and subordination of women.
This is not to say that any particular religion or sect in Guyana supports violence against women, but that the phenomenon is not a sufficiently high civic priority to merit active and sustained condemnation. Generations of subordination of women remain an obstacle to their being treated with dignity.

The assumption that disordered power in relationships can be rectified by reason and education alone, rather than through a re-distribution of power, is an illusion. Empowerment of women means reducing the power exercised by men, it does not necessarily imply confrontation, or ‘taking’ power from men. The goal is a relationship in which power is subjected to principles of dignity, respect and equality in all circumstances.
The society need to become more purposeful in addressing the structures that foster violence. For example, it is feasible to ensure that 50% of all Parliamentary seats are occupied by women. The Constitutional Reform process of 2000 approved that a minimum of fifty per cent of the names on electoral lists of each party must be female and that a minimum of one-third of the seats won must be allocated to females on the list. The rule relates to the minimum, there is nothing stopping any party — other than male inertia and lack of female mobilization- committing itself to allocating 50% of all seats, or indeed more to women. Parliament would then have a critical mass of women well-placed to influence the political future of Guyana in many ways. Men should support the mobilization of women during the electoral period to achieve this goal. This in itself is not a panacea for violence against women, but securing 50% of the seats is an assertion of power without generating confrontation and resentment. It also provides a platform for changing attitudes. Civic organisations, including faith-based ones, are also well-placed to monitor such pledges are honoured. Guyanese men owe Guyanese women nothing less.

Regards,
Executive Committee,
Guyana Human Rights Association