WPO calls on Administration to urgently implement anticrime plan

The Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) has added its voice to all those organisations and individuals who are engaged in various activities to highlight November 25 as International Day for the Elimination of all forms of Violence against Women, as proclaimed by the United Nations.

The WPO, in press statement on the occasion said, “It is necessary at this time to remind ourselves of the reason why this day was internationalised by the women in The Dominican Republic who campaigned vigorously against the Trujillo tyranny in 1960. The dictatorship was averse to any kind of criticisms against the acts perpetrated by the then President. The three Mirabel sisters were among some of his critics and to make matters worse, he was outraged that one of the sisters spurned his sexual advances. He responded by murdering the three sisters,” the release outlined.

The campaign waged by the women in The Dominican Republic eventually won recognition when hundreds of thousands of women in Latin America and the Caribbean provided support which eventually saw the UN proclaiming this day in 1999, the missive outlined.

The WPO, while supporting the various activities to mark the occasion, used the occasion to focus on the violence which is perpetrated in our country on a daily basis by bandits.

“We deem this violence against unsuspecting citizens who are pounced on while their valuables are stolen; some who have their homes broken into, some whose life’s saving are taken while they bargain for their lives is unacceptable. It is an affront to the people of Guyana when statements and actions by those in power give credence and cover to the bandits who believe that they can act with impunity because they have godfathers to protect them. When prisoners are released without the population knowing who they are and what crimes they committed, when Community Policing Groups are deemed illegal and when private citizens are threatened that their guns will be taken away against increased criminal activities are signs that perpetuate criminality,” the missive read.

The WPO will be observing this day with activities in Corentyne, West Coast Berbice; and on the East Bank and East Coast of Demerara, where the President, General Secretary and other leading members will be addressing issues of family violence in all its forms.

“We call on the Minister of Public Security and the President of the Republic of Guyana to immediately take steps and implement their anticrime plan which they promised the Guyanese people in their election manifesto to solve the crime problem. Based on the statistics that are available, crime is more on the increase and it is clear that the Government is clueless,” the Organisation stated.