World Interfaith Harmony Week

World Interfaith Harmony Week this year falls in the middle of a raging pandemic that has brought about so much loss, pain and disruption to the way of life for people all around the world. As I reflect on my message one year ago calling for peaceful elections, I also note the trauma that Guyanese people went through during the elections on top of the COVID-19 pandemic. When people needed spiritual support the most, religious institutions were also challenged by lockdowns and restrictions on mass gatherings. We are thankful to all the religious leaders around Guyana for adapting to new norms and being available to provide comfort and support to their communities.

The pandemic has impacted people’s lives in so many ways. The suffering of those falling sick by the virus and losing loved ones, the pressures on the health and care service providers, closure of schools, loss of businesses, jobs and income, anxiety and stress from not being able to socialize are the most obvious effects. I would like to put the spotlight on one hidden effect and scourge – that of gender-based and domestic or intimate partner violence.

Many social workers report higher incidences of conflict and violence in homes. Some countries that have undertaken surveys post-COVID-19 show a 30% increase in domestic violence. According to UN WOMEN, families subjected to quarantine, isolation and physical distancing coupled with increased domestic and care burdens may experience tensions, stress, anxiety and mental health problems. This alone can contribute to increased conflict and quarreling which escalates to violence. It can also manifest in unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as excessive alcohol consumption, a well-documented risk factor for perpetration of violence.

Households may be facing financial strain from loss of employment, income and other assets. In many contexts, where traditional gender roles dictate that men should provide for their families, this reality can create a sense of inadequacy, uncertainty and loss of control, provoking the assertion of power, including through violence towards their partners/spouses, children or others living in the household. Where there is poverty and the inability to meet basic needs results, girls are at higher risk of being married early or being sexually exploited.

There has been growing documentation of violence against women increasing online as more and more people are using technology for professional, educational and social interactions. Quarantine and self-isolation measures have increased internet use by between 50% and 70%. Women and girls are subject to online violence in the form of physical threats, sexual harassment, stalking, zoombombing and sex trolling. Reports by some countries show substantial increase in reported online abuse and bullying during this pandemic, including against children. In addition, pornographic traffic has spiked dramatically during this time as have risks of sextortion.

Pre-COVID-19, the Government of Guyana undertook the Women’s Health and Family Life Experience Survey, supported by UNDP, UN WOMEN, USAID and IDB. This survey was published in 2018 and gave the most comprehensive data to date on the situation of gender-based violence in Guyana. The results were alarming, although in the eyes of many Guyanese familiar with the issue, not surprising. 55% of women respondents who had a partner in their lives had experienced intimate partner violence – the highest rate in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The survey gave insight into the deeper factors contributing to this high level of violence. Patriarchal norms in which the social status of men and boys is higher than that of women and girls (who are seen as subservient to — and subject to the authority of — their male counterparts), are a primary driver of violence against women and girls. Notwithstanding women’s gains in public life and the promulgation of feminist perspectives on women’s autonomy, Guyana continues to harbor attitudes that lend to unequal gender power dynamics and perpetuate violence.

Women who began their first union at a young age, lack family support or have a controlling partner have an increased risk of experiencing physical and/or sexual violence from their intimate partner. Women who witnessed violence against their mothers in childhood or have a partner who witnessed such violence are at significantly higher risk of experiencing intimate partner violence, continuing the cycle of exposure and violence through their own children. The harms associated with violence can span generations and can result in indirect effects on a woman’s family. As an early indicator of the trauma of intergenerational violence, twice as many mothers who had experienced intimate partner violence reported that their children had nightmares. Further, among these mothers, 50% more reported bedwetting among their children than mothers who did not experience violence.

Violence adversely affects all aspects of women’s lives. Compared to women who did not experience physical and/or sexual violence, twice as many women who did so reported trouble with walking, undertaking usual activities, memory and concentration. They also reported suicidal thoughts or attempts at three times the rate of women who have never experienced violence. Victims divulged contemplating or attempting suicide during pregnancy out of desperation to stop the violence against them.

Violence against women was closely associated with controlling behaviors from male partners such as stopping her from meeting friends, insisting on knowing where she is at all times, frequently getting jealous or angry even if she just talks with another man or checks her cell phone. Controlling behaviors were based on the male belief that women are looking for better providers than the partners they have. Male perpetrators participating in focus group discussions spoke of frustration surrounding relational skills, such as communication, from the perspective of the primary investor in the relationship in terms of material support and in their burden of “educating” partners to operate within the expectations of womanhood.

Half of all women who experienced intimate partner violence in Guyana never sought help due to lack of knowledge of available help, perceptions of being blamed or stigmatized by their situation becoming known throughout the community and inadequate support structures to ensure victim safety after reporting violence to the police. Of the women victims who did seek help, most preferred to go to friends and families, but those that sought institutional help went to the police, health care providers and religious leaders.

Faith-based organizations have, for many years, engaged in the fight against gender-based violence. They have worked to raise awareness of the scale and wide-reaching implications of such violence; they have worked on violence prevention, and provided survivors with services such as counseling, shelter, and legal assistance.

The relationship between religion and gender-based violence or more broadly, gender equality, is a complex one. Religion plays a vital role in shaping cultural, social, economic, and political norms in many parts of the world. Similarly, gender roles and the status of women and men in society are deeply tied to the manner in which religious texts have been interpreted for centuries by those in positions of authority—positions held predominantly by men. Yet, in sharp contrast to their marked absence at the highest levels of decision-making in religious communities, women play a pivotal role in religious life. Within the family and the community, they implement and embody religious teachings and traditions, and pass these on to future generations. Today, more and more women are generating new readings of their scriptures, rooted in reflections on lived experience, informed by a human rights framework, and by legal and constitutional parameters.

Here in Guyana, faith-based organizations are important and respected influencers of behaviors as well as agents of change. UNFPA has worked closely with faith-based organizations in responding to health and social issues. They have played an influential role in validating and promoting best practices for preventing and reducing gender-based violence and other vulnerabilities related to sexual and reproductive health such as adolescent pregnancy prevention and support and HIV prevention, care, treatment and support.

The EU and UN recently launched the Spotlight Initiative in Guyana in partnership with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security. Over three years with 4.5 million Euros from the EU and technical assistance from UNFPA, UN WOMEN, UNICEF, UNDP and other UN agencies, the Spotlight Initiative tackles gender-based violence and family violence through legislation, institutions, prevention, essential services, data, civil society and women’s movements. Spotlight recognizes the importance of faith-based organizations particularly in transforming norms and effecting behavior changes. To this end, Merundoi is partnering with UN WOMEN to engage faith-based leaders through the development and application of a diversity and inclusion toolkit.

I hope Guyana will gradually recover from the pandemic this year with the roll-out of vaccines, but a renewed vision and energy is needed to build back better and stronger towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Eliminating violence against women and girls is a human rights imperative and a part of SDG 5 Achieving gender equality. As communities continue to benefit from your valuable social assistance and healing during the ongoing pandemic, I call on the interfaith community to support women and families experiencing conflict and violence and to transform the social norms that perpetrate gender-based violence. The UN system looks forward to the collaboration with the interfaith community in this endeavor.

Let me end with words from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his new year message:

“2021 must be the year to change gear and put the world on track.

We need to move from death to health; from disaster to reconstruction; from despair to hope; from business as usual to transformation.

The Sustainable Development Goals are more important now than ever.

Now is the time to secure the well-being of people, economies, societies and our planet.”