MANY instances of domestic violence go unreported, for a multiplicity of reasons, among which are stigmatisation and further victimisation of victims, lack of co-operation and insensitive responses by police ranks, fear of violent reprisals by the perpetrators and victim-shaming.

Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Human Services and Social Security Minister, said that in Guyana, over 210,000 or three in five women have experienced some form of violence — either sexually or physically.

There are also cases where emotional and psychological abuse lead to depression, which may precipitate and/or activate suicidal or homicidal tendencies, or a combination of both.

She made these revelations on NCN Channel 11 during the virtual launch of the “Spotlight Initiative” last Saturday, October 31, 2020.
This is a United Nations/European Union funded initiative to address situations of distress of an estimated 600,000 women, girls, men and boys, providing quick-response/ interventions in crisis situations and to alleviate distressing circumstances of the abused in domestic situations.
According to the minister, a budgetary allocation of 4.5 million Euros will be used to invest in strategic and catalytic interventions to address the root causes and holistically address gender-based violence and family violence over a three-year period.

She iterated: “We need to ask ourselves why violence continues to be pervasive and persistent. The heartrending cries of women who are beaten, chopped, stabbed, raped, brutalised and, yes, killed in this most horrific form of gender oppression has propelled us to embark on a pivotal partnership with the UN and EU to significantly improve the conditions of women, foster their empowerment and work to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence.”
“I cannot over-emphasise how important it is to report every incidence of violence to stem the relentless tide,” stated Minister Persaud as she announced the introduction of a 914 helpline to facilitate the reporting of domestic and sexual violence.

In the past there have been issues with emergency numbers, notably on occasions, calls go unanswered or the callers are provided with inadequate response or assistance. One hopes that every effort is made to ensure this problem does not occur with the 914 helpline and there is an effective communication conduit between appointed authorities and victims, or informers.

One component of the project, according to the minister, is programmed to open access to new initiatives that link survivors to agencies, advocacy programmes, referral pathways, micro-enterprise industries, public-private skills employment database matching and offer immediate help “to extrapolate them from violent situations.”

The minister further posited: “It is perhaps the most obvious manifestation of deep imbalances of power in our society. The vulnerabilities epitomised through financial dependence, lower employment, the culture of silence in the face of violence, and tangible insecurities, particularly during a crisis, when vulnerabilities are at their peak and protections at their lowest point will be addressed through the Spotlight Initiative.”
Minister Persaud stressed the imperative of eradicating the culture of silence and the acceptance of violence against women and girls wherever it exists.
She averred: “Violence, whether it affects women and girls, or men and boys, is unacceptable. This our chance to tangibly change the lives of women and girls as we promised at the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, 25 years ago.”

The minister’s plans for implementation to be conducted, and oversight to be provided by her ministry, is welcomed. Much funding was provided by PPP/C Governments of the past to various NGOs to address the scourges in society that were decimating the fabric in families, communities and the wider society, but, rather than directly benefiting the victims, most of the funding was diverted to ‘administrative’ functions and other non-related activities.
This ray of hope offers a gateway to solutions for healing social ills and minimising, if not eradicating, instances of domestic and other forms of violence and abuse in the Guyanese society.