There is also significant under reporting due to the associated social and societal stigma and authorities not dealing with reported incidents seriously. Guyana ratified the Inter-American Convention for the Punishment and Elimination of Discrimination against Women in January 1996. The Domestic Violence Bill has also been introduced in Parliament. One shelter was also built in 1996, another is scheduled to be built in 1997. However while recent legal reforms are encouraging women still face a higher degree of inequality and discriminating.
Many women are unaware of their legal rights.
Gender laws like other policies fail at the implementation stage. There is insufficient capacity to enforce regulations and enforcement mechanisms are dominated by men. Steps were taken by the Women Lawyers Association to counteract this by problem by printing of thousands of pamphlets and a booklet entitled The Law and You . Health Women's health continues to be a major area of concern. High in incidence of anaemia continues to exist among pregnant women.