Dear Editor,
UNICEF’s Guyana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019-2020 revealed alarming findings about attitudes of young and older men and women ages 15-49 to intimate partner domestic violence. The survey found that young men between the ages of 15-17 were in the highest percentage bracket for justifying hitting their partners if their female partner goes out without informing them, neglects the children, refuses sex, burns food, has another partner, stays out late, refuses to cook or clean or denies access to her cellphone.
These findings beg the question about the usefulness and relevance of the Health & Family Life Education (HFLE) programme modules in schools in Guyana for the past 10-12 years as one has to assume that the majority of these young men would have spent years in schools where HFLE subjects are taught. I and others have recommended repeatedly that ongoing assessments of the efficacy of this programme towards changing gender beliefs, norms, behaviours and attitudes which fuel incidences of gender-based violence occurring in Guyana be done. These finding also reveal a systemic failure to stem the growing levels and spread of the gender-based violence epidemic in Guyana.
Guyana has one of the highest levels of gender-based violence in the world where more than 1 out of every 2 women in Guyana are/will be subjected to some form of GBV during their lifetime. I am sure the majority of readers would agree with me that in spite of the MHSSS 24 hr hotline levels, Spotlight programme, the heroic efforts of many NGOs and other State programmes, levels of GBV do not seem to be decreasing and will not decrease until gender negative and stereotypical beliefs, attitudes and behaviours are changed.
Guyana has an excellent example of a successful behaviour change programme, this was the Guyana HIV/AIDS Reduction and Prevention Project (GHARP) which reduced the rate of HIV infections remarkably. What were some of the key areas (a) adequate funding (b) NGO/Civil Society at the centre of programming and activities,(c)a countrywide public education programme with targeted programmes for school children, health centres, public and private sector businesses, men and boys, FBOs, sex workers, LGBTIQ+ etc (d) specially trained facilitators and behaviour change animators working from grass root level to CEO and Board level (e) a robust monitoring and evaluation system which tracked all aspects of programming, (f) best practices for strict accountability for funding (g) frequent and ongoing training, (h) diverse behaviour change communication products etc, and (h) professionally trained expert management and a more robust absence of cronyism, special privileges and access based on political loyalty or perceived political loyalty of individuals and groups which is such a feature in the political and racialized Guyana of today.
Behaviour change does not happen by itself, it is a process as beliefs, attitudes and behaviours are influenced by a whole range of sources including family, friends, peers, culture, media including social media, education, religion and even politics. The good thing is that negative gender norms, beliefs, behaviours including toxic masculinity can change, they are not fixed but are societal. Without recognition of the centrality of understanding gender and how gender influences and perpetuates gender inequality, reducing and eliminating the root causes of gender- based violence will not be achieved. Ensuring comprehensive and age-appropriate gender training in schools must be a priority together with an ongoing countrywide public education programme. Lip service, nice slogans and speeches and the absence of a multi-stakeholder/multi-sectoral, comprehensive, evidence based, relevant, achievable, time bound, resourced and sustainable policies and programmes to address violence against women (VAW) and other forms of GBV is needed – not a piecemeal, uncoordinated under-resourced approach with a new flavour every few months or a justice system where the rule of law is experienced differently depending on political affiliation and status.
And where is Guyana’s National Task Force for Prevention of Sexual Violence (NTFPSV), which was also tasked to address GBV, made up of ministerial representatives with a token number of NGOs. Having been on this Task Force for a few meetings representing a NGO, I can confidently say that ministerial representation did not advance the working or outcomes of this Task Force in any substantial way.
Yours truly,
Danuta Radzik
