–Minister Persaud says as gov’t ramps up efforts to combat domestic violence

–calls for greater community vigilance, compassion, collective responsibility

MINISTER of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, has described the loss of 96 women to domestic violence within the past five years, as a heavy weight on her heart despite ongoing interventions and strengthened systems to protect victims.

During her response to questions on the Starting Point Podcast, Dr. Persaud described the issue as deeply personal.

“Domestic violence is very close to my heart. Some days, when I see women being killed or injured — we have seen a spate of that in recent times — it has me very depressed for days and weeks. And I think to myself, we are putting so many things in place; why is this still happening? Every life, for me, is an important one. It is not a statistic or a number, and I take it very personally,” she said.

Since taking office in 2020, the minister said she has worked to move the domestic violence response system from policy-only to one that actively supports survivors.

“When I became a minister in 2020, there was no system in place to support victims. There was a Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Policy Unit at the ministry, so it was more about dealing with policy. Reports were made at the police.

“When I came in, I looked at it holistically — what was missing? Avenues of reporting; reporting that people could be confident is happening, reporting so that we could drive data collection to implement policies and programmes, and reporting with confidence,” she said.

While 96 women have lost their lives to domestic violence between 2020 and 2025, Dr. Persaud pointed out that the number of partner-related killings has declined over the past two years.

The annual breakdown of femicides is as follows: 19 in 2020, 14 in 2021, 21 in 2022, 18 in 2023, 12 in 2024, and 12 recorded so far in 2025.

Overall, from 2020 to September 2025, a total of 127 people — both men and women — lost their lives to domestic violence.

She acknowledged that COVID-19 triggered an upsurge in both domestic and child abuse cases and highlighted a troubling trend now under review by her ministry.

The minister expressed concern about the growing trend of partners killing women and then taking their own lives, noting that this disturbing pattern is currently under investigation and analysis by her ministry.

She pointed out that, in several of these cases, the perpetrators had already been receiving counselling or were subject to protection orders at the time of the attacks. The minister also shared insight from her direct interactions with victims’ families.

“I sat with the family of a woman who was stabbed 32 times by her partner, and I asked them what happened. And you get things like, she wanted to protect the gentleman or partner… we made several reports, but she kept going back and [would not press charges],” she said.

Dr. Persaud believes societal stigma, family pressure, and financial dependence remain barriers to survivors leaving abusive relationships.

“From the time it hits the courts, there is this resistance in a lot of cases. Domestic violence is still stigmatised. It is seen as a failing if they leave. Their families may send them back, and people feel pressured to stay. There is also the issue of financial independence for women, particularly, and the issue of children being involved and weaponised,” she said.

To support survivors, the ministry has established both state-owned and partner-operated shelters and introduced a rental assistance programme for women reluctant to stay in shelters.

“We realised a lot of women didn’t want to stay in shelters so the government would pay up to three months of rent for them,” Dr. Persaud said.

Under the Family Violence Act of 2024, survivors can now remain in their homes while perpetrators are legally required to leave.

The Family Violence Act identifies a broad range of abusive behaviour: from sexual or physical assault to emotional manipulation, coercive control, threats, and even harming or threatening to harm family pets.

The Act also addresses a historically overlooked but critical issue — financial dependency. Many victims remain trapped in abusive relationships due to lack of financial independence.

The new legislation acknowledges this and includes measures to ensure support mechanisms are in place for those seeking to leave abusive environments. Yet, the minister acknowledged the continuing dangers.

“Sometimes after a protection order is issued, women go back to the perpetrator. Many times, the perpetrator breaches the order and creates havoc, and many times it could end in a fatality,” she stated.

Dr. Persaud said while progress has been made, eradicating domestic violence will take time.

“I dare say it would take us a long time to completely eradicate,” she admitted — a sobering reflection on an issue that continues to claim lives despite ongoing national efforts.

As Guyana observes Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, citizens are reminded that breaking the cycle of abuse demands not only stronger systems and enforcement, but also greater community vigilance, compassion, and collective responsibility.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic or sexual violence, help is just a call away. Dial 914 — a free, confidential, 24-hour hotline that provides support, guidance, and assistance to victims and survivors of domestic and sexual offences.