APNU urges stronger measures to address domestic violence

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has “vehemently denounced” the continuing perpetration of all forms of inter-personal violence and, particularly, violence against women.
More than 11 women have been murdered so far this year.
“APNU is aware that the Guyana Police Force has long promised to install a Central Domestic Violence Unit at its headquarters and at divisional, sub-divisional, and station levels,” APNU said in a statement.
Special unit
“APNU, therefore, calls for the establishment of a special Inter-Personal Violence Unit to pro-actively counter this raging crime. The existing neighbourhood, community policing and citizens’ security programmes must be given specific roles to identify human safety situations, which have the potential to become violent.
“The partnership insists that incidents of inter-personal violence must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, regardless of the class, race, status or wealth of the perpetrators,” the statement added.
APNU feels that inter-personal violence, as a result, has been allowed to reach epidemic proportions in terms of its frequency, brutality and widespread nature.
Reports indicate that there have been numerous incidents in urban, rural, and hinterland areas.
The partnership recognises that vulnerable women and young girls must be protected by more sympathetic, better-trained law enforcement agencies, supported by a stronger judicial system.
It recognises the need for more support systems for vulnerable women and girls in crises and an increase of the number of safe homes for abused, battered, trafficked and sexually-exploited women and girls.
APNU insists further that the early education curricula for boys and girls, beginning with the primary schools, should include the teaching of values and standards aimed at eliminating the mentality and factors that contribute to disrespect and the abuse of women and girls.
There must also be a positive change in political culture that recognises the worth of women and girls.
The partnership demands also that, where such violence occurs, measures should be taken to protect women from being subjected to such abuse, and to aid their easy access to justice and safety. Women deserve the protection of the state.
APNU encourages all Guyanese to work together to eliminate inter-personal violence, the coalition said, and remains committed to protecting citizens’ rights while ensuring that all citizens can attain the good life to which they are entitled.
Government system
The Human Services and Social Security Ministry earlier this week had expressed sadness over the recent loss of lives and injury as a result of domestic violence, and urged the perpetrators to seek help through the government system or non-governmental organisations.
“These incidences are preventable, but require much effort from perpetrators, victims, communities, civil society, government and other partners. Domestic violence is everybody’s business,” the ministry stated in a press release.
The ministry observed that it has been addressing the scourge of domestic violence in Guyana independently and in collaboration with its partners through training, advocacy, sensitisation, and awareness programmes.
This is being done in keeping with the ministry’s mandate through many of its sections/departments, which have launched a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted approach to deal with this problem in a holistic manner.
Officers of the Probation and Social Services Department work in communities across the country sensitising the public about the services available to victims, providing counselling services to victims and perpetrators, and makes community members aware of their social responsibility to report cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) that occur in their respective communities, the ministry said.
In the past two years, the Men’s Affairs Bureau has been working with young boys and men in schools and sports clubs to address issues such as anger management, domestic violence prevention, and interactions with the opposite sex via the “No More Black and Blue” and the “Red Card Domestic Violence” campaigns. The ministry has worked in more than 30 schools and communities, reaching more than 20,000 boys and men.