The many legislative and regulatory activities being undertaken to battle violence against women in Guyana seem not to have an impact on curtailing it and the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) has questioned whether Guyana is really addressing the issue or just dealing with the symptoms.

In a press release to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women the WPO pointed out that training the police to deal with domestic violence is a responsive approach when it can become a preventive intervention if prompt and decisive actions are taken against perpetrators.

The organisation noted that violence against women has become an endemic globally but what makes it more disturbing is the gruesomeness of the cases that reflects an extremely high level of cruelty and angry, if not psychological/mental disorder, that resides in the psyche of the perpetrators.

The WPO supports the initiative by President Bharrat Jagdeo in bringing together stakeholders who are working towards the reduction of domestic violence as it believes it is a step in the right direction. Support was also given to the initiatives by the Ministry of Human Services in propelling new legislation to tackle some of the problems.

The organisation said it believes there is need for a coordinated strategy at the national level with a national coordinating mechanism including the relevant stakeholders which will provide the catalyst that is required at this time.