— First Lady urges collective action to end violence, break toxic cycles

FIRST Lady Arya Ali has reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to advancing the rights and protection of women and girls, calling for sustained collective action to dismantle patriarchal structures and end violence against women.

She was at the time delivering the feature address following an International Women’s Day Walk held on Sunday under the global theme, ‘Give to gain’.

“Our efforts must continue if we are to create an equitable and just world for the women and girls, who are going to come after us here in Guyana. At the level of both government and civil society, there is no doubt that we are committed to building a better country for our women and girls through legislative reforms, policy initiatives, programmes that empower them, improve safety and expand economic opportunities,” she said.

The First Lady outlined a series of initiatives undertaken in recent years to support women and girls in Guyana. These include the provision of free sanitary pads to more than 3,000 schoolgirls, and scholarships for over 200 women, with at least 100 beneficiaries coming from hinterland regions.

In addition, millions of dollars have been invested in women‑led start‑ups, while homes have been constructed for women‑headed households. She also pointed to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s ongoing ‘WE LIFT’ Expo, which is currently supporting more than 460 women‑led enterprises.

“These efforts aligned with Guyana’s constitutional commitment to gender equality and international frameworks such as the convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Beijing Platform for Action,” she added.

However, she cautioned that institutional weaknesses and entrenched cultural norms that reinforce patriarchy continue to undermine progress.

“Our efforts have not been without challenges, institutional weaknesses and cultural norms which reinforce patriarchy continue to undermine the gains we have made over the years.

Intimate partner violence, for instance, continues to rob families of mothers, daughters and sisters, leaving grief that reverberates across our communities and our nation,” she said.

Highlighting the grave toll of domestic and intimate partner violence, the First Lady said such violence “continues to rob families of mothers, daughters and sisters, leaving grief that reverberates across our communities and our nation.”

She referenced the Family Violence Act 2024 as a key legislative step taken over the past five years to better protect women in vulnerable situations and hold perpetrators accountable.

In a particularly emotional passage, she invoked the memories of victims such as Shonette Dover, Kenisha Vaughn, 14‑year‑old Aleena Preetam, who died shortly after giving birth, and 15‑year‑old Tiana Chapman, who was stabbed 25 times, cases she said underscore the “difficult circumstances that little girls, not women, continue to endure at the hands of violent men.”

Despite these tragedies, Mrs. Ali insisted that “hope is not lost,” urging Guyanese to use the occasion of International Women’s Day not only to celebrate progress but to reflect on their individual and collective responsibilities.

She called on citizens to take action in their homes, schools, places of worship, and communities, and to support existing systems designed to protect and empower women and girls.

“Once we continue to raise our voices like we are today, and with brothers like those of you who are here today, who understand our plight and have chosen to join our fight, we will be able to dismantle those structures and break the toxic culture that undermines the dignity of our women and girls,” she added.

A moment of silence was observed in remembrance of women and girls who were killed and injured at the hands of domestic abusers.

Meanwhile, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Vindhya Persaud appealed to the public to open their homes and hearts to survivors, offering shelter, listening ears, good advice and simple gestures.

“Let the women know that they do not stand alone, because you, all of us, are with each one of them,” she said.

Minister Persaud did not shy away from the harsh realities many women face. She highlighted the continuing scourge of gender‑based violence, family violence and domestic violence, stressing that women are disproportionately affected. She insisted, however, that society must “never give up” the fight to eradicate such abuse.

She stressed that solidarity between women and men is vital in creating safer, more inclusive communities across the country.

Crucially, she called on communities to match words with action by offering tangible and emotional support to survivors.