-for first half of 2026

-by Jordan Alkins

Gender-based violence is one of Guyana’s most persistent social challenges, but two years ago, one initiative set out to change how survivors access help. 

NCN News recently revisited the Hope and Justice Center at Lusignan to chronicle the impact it has made, where it was revealed that over 130 persons accessed its service in just the first half of 2026.

Since it opened its doors, the Hope and Justice Center at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara, has been a lifeline for survivors of gender-based violence across the country.

This was emphasized by the Manager of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, Dr Cona Husbands, during an exclusive interview with NCN News.

The center was designed as a one-stop facility, meaning survivors do not have to travel from office to office to get help. 

Persons can access medical attention, legal aid, counseling, and law enforcement supportunder a single roof.

Since that first year, the center has seen a steady stream of persons walking through its doors, though the numbers have shifted year on year.

“Since the center would’ve opened to now we saw Over 700 women and men coming to the center and there has been a steady flow  over the year in 2024  we had over 300 in 2025 we had little under 300 and then from January 2026 to June this year  we had over a 130 coming to the center,” she said.

Meanwhile, Dr Husbands says domestic violence remains the leading reason personsseek help at the center.

Further, she said a significant number of those cases involved violence between parents.

“From our data the main reason person walk through this door is for domestic violence it’s still  prevalent and it still the main reason the main population we serve hereWe have a lot of person coming in with inter partners violence and now because of the laws has changed and it has extended it  scope to family violence we are seeing families coming aunts reporting nephews, grandparents reporting children in terms of abuse and elder abuse and so on,” Dr Husbands explained.

The Unit has also rolled out several programs aimed at widening access to justice, among them a ‘Legal Day’ initiative.