Dear Editor,
The family of Bibi Fazila Ali reportedly followed all the steps to get help, and have stated that the system failed her. The man who killed her is now dead. (SN 31 Jan, 2025). Another man is on the run after killing 16 year old Janelly David in Baramita. The police finally issued a wanted bulletin for a man who had been abusing a woman, three months after she first made reports.
In 2025, there is a legislative framework, and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has a hotline and other services, and many citizens have reported getting help there when they can access those services. Some police have responded helpfully.
Gender-based violence, including domestic violence and intimate partner violence, is not only the responsibility of one Government agency. Beyond training, the different State agencies have to hold each other accountable as they ensure survivors get justice and that they address the enabling attitudes of victim blaming. State agencies like Men on Mission and the Men’s Affairs Bureau must also reach to the men who are thinking of destroying the women and girls around them.
Now is the time for the Guyana Police Force to investigate why the family of Bibi Ally did not receive help and to fix the gaps in their services. They should be letting the public know what to do when any officer at any station, Cop Squad trained or not, does not provide quality assistance. There should be public protocols so that all medical professionals, especially in health centres, could make automatically make contact with survivor advocates or other community social workers when they suspect domestic violence or other forms of gender-based violence.
The Ministry of Education could work with the Ministry of Human Services to put up posters in all schools of the helplines available so that parents, teachers and others could know. Many citizens who are not receiving pension or public assistance might not be following the Ministry of Human Services or Minister on social media. The Ministry of Health might be willing to also put up the posters in their health centres.
All local Government bodies and Village Councils in indigenous communities should be encouraged to develop the appropriate plans to address gender-based violence and different communities have different dynamics. And in this time of budget debate memes and so on, maybe all Members of Parliament could also put up posts to encourage their followers to contact the relevant help agencies and provide information on what to do when the police is not helping.
Sincerely,
Vidyaratha Kissoon
