“The cost of the fist is too high and this must stop”- PPP on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 November 2015, 15:36 by GxMedia

Violence Against Women continues to be a major cause of human rights violations against women in Guyana and around the world.

During the past decades, several initiatives were taken by government and non-government organizations and individuals to reduce and/or eliminate this scourge from our society. Yet, it seems that there has been an increase in domestic violence incidence due to the reports in the media on a daily basis.

Too many women have been killed during the past five (5) years. Too many women have been maimed and brutalized. Too many women who are victims of domestic violence are afraid to come forward and speak out because of financial dependence and cultural practices.

On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (November 25, 2015), the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO) calls on all its members and supporters; and all stakeholders to work together in this fight against violence. We need to defend women’s human rights by creating awareness, especially among men who are the main of perpetrators of domestic violence.

The cost of domestic violence on the family and society is tremendous. When mothers are hurt, children suffer untold psychological trauma and grow up to become victims or perpetrators of domestic violence themselves. On the other hand, mothers themselves endure enormous physical and psychological pain. When employees are hurt, companies suffer loss in production and downtime because of sick leave, etc. In the long term, the cost of domestic violence on the country is humongous.

The WPO would like to use this occasion to reiterate its call for families to reach out to their families and communities as well as counselors, religious leaders in an attempt to resolve some of these problems. The cost of the fist is too high and this must stop. It stops with you, it stops with me. It must stops by all of us. We have to do this together. We must stop domestic violence in our midst.

On this November 25, WPO would like to renew its commitment to work towards eradicating violence within our families, be it spousal abuse, child abuse or elderly abuse. Domestic Violence has no place in our society.

On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women we must all pledge to do our part to illuminate this scourge form our society.