Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday pledged to play a greater role in ending domestic violence in Guyana.
The senior Government official made his promise while addressing the launch of the I-CAN (Community Activism Network) initiative by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in the compound of the Parliament Building.
“Violence against women and girls has no place in the 21st century, and no place in a developing Guyana. I take this opportunity to add my voice against violence against women and girls in our society”, the Prime Minister has said.
The Prime Minister joined members of the diplomatic community, religious leaders, civil society representatives and other Ministers of the Government in signing a pledge to always stand up and speak out against domestic violence.
In her remarks, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud, said the pledge is a statement of unwavering commitment to the cause.
“It solidifies our dedication and commitment to a cause…we need to not be blind; we need to not be dismissive; we need to hear the repeated cries for help…we need to hold people accountable”.
Minister Persaud also made a commitment to have over 2000 Police officers from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) trained to deal with domestic violence reports within the next five months.