The We Invest In Nationhood (WIN) party has issued a blistering statement demanding urgent, concrete action to confront the escalating wave of violence against women and children in Guyana. Citing a string of brutal attacks in recent days, the party condemned what it called a “selective justice system” that fails to protect the vulnerable and emboldens abusers.
Referring to a Kaieteur News’ front page “Here is your Sunday headline,” WIN declared, “soaked in blood, pain, and injustice. Acid, rape, bullets – this is the Guyana we’re living in, while those in power toast to five more years.”
The organisation highlighted several disturbing incidents that unfolded in just the past week. On East Street, Georgetown, two young cashiers were attacked in broad daylight. One of the victims, 25-year-old Jillicia Leitch of Tuschen Housing Scheme, suffered severe burns to her face, stomach, and left hand after being doused with acid. Her co-worker, 20-year-old Nirmala Sukraj, sustained minor burns and was treated and discharged.
In another shocking case, a 15-year-old girl was reportedly sexually assaulted by three men—individuals she knew and trusted. And just last evening, well-known entertainer and mother Lolita “Lola Doll” Calendar was shot multiple times outside her home and now lies hospitalised in critical condition.
Despite President Irfaan Ali’s strong rhetoric during his inauguration, where he stated, “We must kill this now” in reference to injustice and social decay, WIN argues that those in power are “out of touch with reality.”
“Justice here isn’t blind. It’s selective,” the party stated. “The poor bleed, the powerless suffer, while the politically connected act as untouchables.”
WIN is calling for immediate and decisive action: full investigations into these recent crimes, swift legal proceedings, and a comprehensive overhaul of systems that continue to fail women and children.
“We believe that words are not enough until justice is swift and perpetrators are held accountable,” the statement read. “Our people, especially women and girls, remain unsafe in their homes, workplaces, and communities.”
The party affirmed its commitment to collaborating with relevant stakeholders to reform laws and policies aimed at eradicating gender-based violence. “Those responsible for such reprehensible acts must face the full extent of the law,” it insisted.
In Guyana, 55% of women have experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime, including both intimate partner violence (IPV) and non-partner sexual violence. Approximately 38% have suffered physical and/or sexual violence from a partner, a rate that far exceeds the global average. Alarmingly, in just the past 12 months, over 10% of women reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner. Additionally, 1 in 5 women (20%) have faced non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime, with 13% reporting such abuse before the age of 18.
As the national crisis deepens, WIN is making it clear: Guyana deserves better, and justice must not be delayed or denied any longer.
