Addressing domestic violence

Within the last four months alone, seven women have been killed by their partners in what can only be described as monstrous acts, while three more unfortunate victims were brutalised at the hands of their partners. Recent statistics point to a disturbing reality: incidents of domestic violence by an intimate partner in Guyana rose from 74.8 percent in 2011 to 89 percent in 2017, with females accounting for upward of 80 percent of the victims. The highest number of these crimes occurs in Region Three, Essequibo Coast and Islands; Region Four, Demerara/Mahaica; and Region Six, East Berbice/Corentyne, which account for roughly three-quarters of the reported incidents of gender-based violence. The majority of the victims are between the ages of 16 and 45 years of age.

The United Nations (UN) statistics show that one in three women around the world experiences violence in her lifetime, often at the hands of someone she knows, loves and trusts. The term ‘violence against women’ means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life” (Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women, UN General Assembly, 1993).
In the wake of the country’s most recent occurrences, a top Government official acknowledged that the issue of domestic violence is not something that can just be tackled from a law enforcement perspective; rather, it requires intensified inter-agency collaboration. It was highlighted that many of the issues which lead to domestic violence include socialisation, or the lack of it. Consequently, there was a call for closer collaboration with the religious leaders, educational institutions, and parents, to address the underlying issues. While we acknowledge that this is a step in the right direction, Government also needs to intensify its push to end the scourge by increasing funding for new and existing programmes.
In her statement for International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women 2016, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka highlighted effective interventions, and reiterated that the pandemic of violence against women and girls can end, but it will need commitment and investment, nationally and internationally. The Women and Gender Equality Commission has also acknowledged that one of the major challenges to efforts to prevent and end violence against women and girls worldwide is financing. As a result, they pointed to the glaring reality that resources for initiatives to prevent and end violence against women and girls are severely lacking.
According to UN Women, when world leaders adopted the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, they recognised that ending violence against women and girls was a pre-requisite for the achievement of the development agenda. Goal 5, on gender equality, includes a specific target to end all forms of violence against women, including trafficking, other forms of sexual violence.
Despite this, the body pointed out that the resources dedicated to addressing the issue still do not match the scale of the challenge; it also emphasised that allocating adequate resources to prevent and address violence against women is not only a legal obligation and a moral imperative, but a sound investment too. While we know that women are not the only victims of domestic violence — men, children, the disabled, and the elderly can also become victims — we also know that the wealthy as well as the poor can become victims. In fact, domestic violence doesn’t distinguish between victims, nor does it distinguish between perpetrators.
It is clear that, as a society, we need to intensify our focus on changing cultural norms and existing attitudes which promote the acceptance of, and even encourage, violence against women. It is also glaring that the battle will require intensified inter-agency collaboration. While we must acknowledge the work done to address these issues (Sexual, Domestic Violence 2017-2021 action plan, the Ministry of Social Protection’s community based programme etc) an integral part of the fight to eradicate domestic violence is adequate funding.