In a move to end the scourge of violence against women, President Dr Irfaan Ali has called on every citizen to check themselves and ensure they are not a part of the problem that contributes to the wanton disregard for women’s rights and lives.
He made this plea while addressing an International Women’s Day event held at State House on Wednesday evening.
According to the Head of State, despite the successes and significant achievements by women in Guyana, there are still some issues affecting this gender that have to and must be dealt with. Among those issues he raised is the societal scourge of domestic violence.
“As a country, I pray that we pledge to utilise every single ounce of energy we have to let this be a priority. Let this be a national priority. Sit and talk to your children. Let them understand that this is not part of humanity and human behavior. We all must be part of the solution,” he implored.
President Ali noted that often times the economic and social circumstances have been labelled as the root cause of violence against women but he argued that this is not the case. In fact, he contended that the root cause is the inaction by those in society who watch in silence as these atrocities are being meted out against women.
“I want us to pause tonight and to think a bit outside of the box. How many of us would witness violence against women and stayed quiet? How many of us will see it in our families, will see it in our communities? How many mothers will cover for their sons? How many wives will cover for their husband? How many? It is always one to many.”
“So, the root cause is our silence. The root cause is our collective guilt. All of us are a collective guilt, not to stand strong and definitively against violence against women. If we do that, we can get rid of this monster and devil from the society. We must leave no space for this evil trend to grow,” he stressed.
To this end, the Guyanese Leader went onto outline there must be a collective decision as individuals, as families, as a community to fight this regressive act of violence against women. He pointed out that there is “absolutely no excuse for raising a finger against women… we have to stop it. We have to play our part.”
As a matter of fact, the President pointed out to various scenarios whereby victims of domestic violence are seen going before the court and say ‘oh, we don’t want to pursue it anymore’ or when women are killed in the community, neighbours would speak up and say ‘oh, they always used to quarrel and fight’; ‘Oh, they always have problems’ or they always saw someone running someone with a wood or something but they stayed quiet.
According to the President Ali, citizens have the power to make a difference, and possibly save a life. He urged persons to change their thinking and play an active role in the elimination of this scourge from society.
This, he underscored, is one of the goals of his Men on Mission (MOM) initiative that sees its participants going to communities to raise awareness in order to uproot the little seeds that causes such behaviours.
“Sometimes, we look to the police, to the court, to the lawyers to solve these problems. But we have to contribute to this [solution as well]. This is our collective problem. This is not only a problem for the homes in which this type of violence occurs,” the Head of State noted.
Back in January, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, has disclosed that some 900 domestic violence cases were recorded in 2022.
Of this figure, a total of 360 cases were reported via the 914 DV hotline during the first six months of last year. This represents an increase when compared to the 260 cases recorded during the same period in 2021.
Only Monday morning, 26-year-old Aneeza Ishmael was stabbed to death by her reputed husband at their Hope Estate, East Coast Demerara (ECD) home after he accused her of being unfaithful.
The suspect has since confessed to the heinous crime. He is currently under guard at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) receiving medical attention after he consumed a poisonous substance shortly after fatally injuring the woman.
