– seek help, Manickchand urges victims
In less than two weeks, four women have lost their lives as a result of domestic violence and Human Services Minister Priya Manickchand says victims of abusive relationships need to seek help before it escalates to a fatal stage.
Over the last weekend, three women were killed, highlighting the stark reality that violence against women continues to be a big problem in spite of government interventions. During a telephone interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Manickchand admitted that the number of deaths has risen and she pleaded with women to get help or get out of the relationship in which they are abused.
She said that in addition to the ministry, help could also be sought from partner agencies such as Help and Shelter, Red Thread, other women’s organisations and churches. She added that help could also be sought from the Legal Aid Clinic which has been set up in six of the ten administrative regions and the police. Manickchand said that while there have been complaints in the past about police inaction, she has noticed that the force is now responding to reports. However, there is still room for improvement on the part of the police, she stated.
According to Manickchand, over the years there have been increased efforts by the government to tackle domestic violence with comprehensive legislation in the form of the Domestic Violence Act and last June’s publication of the Domestic Violence Policy, which was drafted by the National Task Force on Domestic Violence. She said that the Act caters for persons in abusive relationships and makes provisions for the court to make orders ranging from protection to occupational as well as other consequential orders.
Responsibility
Manickchand stated that despite significant efforts from government and non-governmental organisations to deal with domestic violence, at the end of the day the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the victims to access the help that is available. “It all comes down to persons making [use of the] services that are available,” she noted.
The role of the ministry and the other organisations, she added, is to educate people about their rights and to assist persons to access services such as legal aid. Help and Shelter, she pointed out, can assist women if they want to remove from their homes. There is also some amount of financial help for the victims as well as counselling for both victim and abuser. But Manickchand said the only way the ministry or any other organisation can act is if they are made aware of the case.
In the case of children who have witnessed domestic violence, she said that after helping the mother to leave the home, help is given to get them into other schools, provide school uniforms among other things. In relation to the Domestic Violence Policy, Manickchand said it focuses on spousal abuse and has at its core the transformation of attitudes that condone or normalize such violence, such as gender stereotyping and discrimination.
Last year, head of the ministry’s Domestic Violence Unit Geetanjali Geer told this newspaper that the policy can only work if the police force plays an active role. She had said the unit recognises the role of the force in tackling domestic violence, but noted that the police have to do more. As a result a letter was dispatched to the Police Commissioner Henry Greene from the desk of the minister outlining a “few things”
In November, President Bharrat Jagdeo approved $15 million for the campaign to eliminate domestic violence. This disclosure was made during a consultation on the issue, hosted at Office of the President. Roughly 25 organisations across several segments of society, including religious, trade unions, the private sector, the Guyana Bar Association, Guyana Association of Women Lawyers, attended the session, which aimed to develop a strategic approach to address domestic violence.
Two Sundays ago, Lotoya Conway Woolford became the first victim for the year when she died less than a day after being stabbed, allegedly by her husband, Charles, who subsequently tried to commit suicide. After being hospitalized for several days, the man was charged with murder.
Last Saturday, Deborah Allen of Oronoque, Port Kaituma, North West District was hacked to death by her husband following an argument. The man, who also wounded her 16-year-old daughter is still at large.
On Sunday morning, the bloody bodies of Nekecia Rouse and her sister-in-law, Alexis ‘Keisha’ George were discovered in Smythfield, New Amsterdam. They were stabbed to death. Four suspects have since been held.