…calls for broad-based, community-driven response
As nine cases have already been recorded of Guyanese women being murdered, both locally and internationally, so far for 2016, Social Protection Minister Volda Lawrence believes that despite efforts by the Government to significantly reduce these figures by implementing strategic measures, women continue to fall prey to senseless killings mostly at the hands of their partners or jealous lovers.
The issue has been brought to the fore by Minister Lawrence subsequent to the murder of another woman, Candacy Pitt, by her husband of 13 years on Friday.
Minister Lawrence in a statement said the country was undergoing an unfortunate phase whereby women have become the primary targets of heinous crimes which continue to burden not only the household of these victims, but the country by extension.
Noting the impact on the country, Lawrence pointed out that the nation’s overall development was susceptible to attenuation as Guyana continued to lose its most valuable resources owing to the “war” that has been launched against the womenfolk.
“This signals for us a lamentable negative and a deterrent to our overall national development, for we are losing our most important resource, which is so crucial to the sustainability of our nation,” Lawrence said.
The Minister said that the Government was aware of the quickly escalating issue and has been working to put in place measures that would secure the women of Guyana; however, these efforts seemed not to be working, as the number of women being murdered at the hands of their partners continued to rise.
“It seems that there are wanton murders, that domestic problems are being resolved today with recourse to extremely violent action. No longer can we hear of amicable solutions to our domestic conflicts.”
Considering the importance of having the crisis addressed before another woman suffered the fate of a brutal murder, Lawrence called for a broad-based response to be taken, especially by members of the community. She underscored the significance of healthcare workers and counsellors in tackling the issue at the grassroots level.
“There is no doubt a need for more interaction between members of the community, for more trained counsellors and experienced healthcare workers who can provide a forum whereby those suffering from mental illnesses, depression, family upheavals, abuse, can relieve their stress and communicate their problems and difficulties in an atmosphere of confidentiality,” the Minister said.
In the most recent case of murder, Pitt, 31, also called “Cindy” of Chelsea Park, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara, was hacked to death by her husband of 13 years on June 3.
Pitt was at the time performing security duties at the Bygeval Secondary School.
Last week, Guyanese national Shemel Mercurius, 17, was shot dead in a New York apartment she shared with her aunt. Her 25-year-old boyfriend has confessed to the brutal slaying.
A few days earlier, Leelawattie Sookhoo, 37, and her 10-year-old daughter, Tisha Ahiram, were reportedly strangled to death by Sookdeo’s 22-year old lover in Suriname.
Another woman, Hafeeza Rohaman, 28, was allegedly murdered by her husband and buried in a shallow grave in Helena No 2, Mahaica.
Following this, Leolyn Sullivan was stabbed to death in her Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) home by her husband during an argument.
Also this year, Bibi Zabida Khan’s body was found in a trench at Zeelugt in January after she had gone missing. It was later confirmed that she had been murdered by her husband who then disposed of her body.
In March 2016, Indrawattie Somwar was hacked to death by her husband, while Simone Hackett, a mother of one, was murdered by her ex-lover and her body dumped in a Cummings Lodge trench.
Only recently, Latchmini Shivpujan’s lifeless body was found in her apartment at Old Road, Crane, West Coast Demerara.
