Another senseless death. Another woman gunned down in cold blood. The brutal murder of Kenesha Vaughn by her partner, Marlan DaSilva, highlights a chilling and growing trend in Guyana: an epidemic of femicide that remains unchecked. As this tragedy unfolds, the question remains: when will the government take decisive action to stop this violence? With gender-based violence rates soaring, local advocacy groups and activists are slamming the government for its failure to protect women and address the root causes of this crisis.
Guyana continues to grapple with one of the highest rates of intimate partner violence in the Caribbean, with an alarming 8.8 femicides per 100,000 people. In 2024 alone, twelve women were murdered by their partners, a statistic that reflects the broader and systemic problem of gender-based violence. Forty percent of women in Guyana have experienced domestic violence, and 35% of all women murdered are killed by their intimate partners.
Worldwide, one woman is murdered every 10 minutes by a partner, and Guyana has become a tragic example of how unchecked violence against women can escalate to the most heinous forms of abuse.
Dr. Mark Devonish- a United Kingdom based physician- who has been vocal about the need for urgent government action, in his last Sunday’s column writes, “Another day, another dark day. Another senseless death. Another life snatched away….[this is] an epidemic which demands urgent social, legislative and judicial attention.”
He further questions why these murders continue without any substantial changes, highlighting the failure of the government to take meaningful action to prevent these deaths. He asks: “How many more women have to be massacred, before this installed government acts?”
The killing of Vaughn, a woman shot twelve times after a verbal argument with her partner, mirrors the 2018 murder of Reona Payne, who was gunned down by her partner, army captain Oswain Sandy, after a similar confrontation. These incidents highlight an ongoing, disturbing pattern of violence where women, simply for standing their ground, are met with brutal and fatal aggression. Dr. Devonish reflects on this: What could these women have possibly done to warrant such violence? The rage, the brutality, the lack of any viable intervention—why does this continue?
According to a 2019 World Bank Report “Guyana faces significant challenges in addressing gender-based violence (GBV) and supporting women’s economic empowerment.”
In response to the ongoing crisis, local organisations like Red Thread, has been at the forefront of efforts to combat the scourge. They have tirelessly advocated for stronger laws, more accessible support services for survivors, and most urgently, a safe space for women fleeing abuse. However, they are met with limited action from the government, which has failed to create a sufficient and reliable system of support.
While the voices of advocacy groups are growing louder, there has been no substantial change. There is need for real resources, shelters, and places where women fleeing violence can find safety—yet these resources remain scarce, underfunded, and inadequate to meet the increasing demand. These shelters, intended to be a lifeline for women, have not expanded at the rate necessary to match the growing need.
The failure to create these safe spaces, coupled with the lack of swift legal action against perpetrators, has led to a sense of impunity, where men who commit such heinous acts often evade meaningful consequences.
