“Until the ending changes, domestic violence will remain” – Parag

“The Government alone cannot do it,” Education Minister Sonia Parag tells Region Five students after a dramatic poetry item highlights abuse.
Parag has warned that domestic violence will continue to plague Guyana unless the narrative surrounding abuse changes, telling students that “until the ending changes, the story will never change.”

She made the remarks during the region’s Republic Anniversary flag-raising ceremony at Fort Wellington, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), after a female student delivered a dramatic poetry piece depicting domestic abuse.
The performance portrayed the grim reality of violence within the home, ending in tragedy. Parag commended the student’s presentation as excellent but questioned the inevitability of such conclusions.
“When is it ever going to come that we are going to see a young lady start off with depicting domestic violence but finish that skit with feeling empowered?” she asked.
“While she did a dramatic and excellent depiction, the end of that story remained the same. Her life was gone.”
Her remarks come against the backdrop of national data showing that domestic violence remains a serious social issue.
According to the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, the national 914 hotline receives thousands of calls annually, with hundreds relating directly to domestic abuse and gender-based violence. In recent updates, the Ministry reported over 6000 calls to the hotline within a single year, including more than 180 linked specifically to domestic violence. Government figures also indicate a 33 per cent reduction in domestic violence-related homicides, a development officials have attributed to strengthened interventions and the implementation of the Family Violence Act of 2024.
However, official data suggest that the problem remains widespread. The Ministry has previously reported close to 900 domestic violence cases recorded in 2022, while public officials have acknowledged that many incidents go unreported, meaning the true scale may be significantly higher.
Authorities say ongoing police training, expanded support services, and community engagement efforts are critical in tackling the issue, but they continue to emphasise that cultural attitudes and public awareness must shift to meaningfully reduce violence within homes and communities.
Parag stressed that legislation alone cannot end abuse. “The Government alone cannot do that,” she said.
“The Government can create laws, and the Government can put protection in place, but until that time, a lady or a woman wants to move her life from one place to the next and shift that narrative; the story will never change.”
She further noted that responsibility must be shared across society.
“It’s not just our women; our men have to empower our women too,” she added, urging communities to confront harmful norms and support victims seeking change. She framed the issue as one of mindset as much as policy.
“Everything starts with a mindset,” the Minister told the gathering, “your mind has the power to imprison you, or it has the power to free you.”
Until the conclusion of such stories reflects empowerment rather than loss, Parag suggested, domestic violence will remain a persistent and painful reality. Changing that ending, she indicated, is a collective responsibility, one that extends beyond Government and into homes, schools and communities across the country.