Participants at a ‘Forum for Men’ last Thursday were urged to aggressively pursue initiatives that will stamp out gender-based violence in the Guyanese society.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Trevor Thomas said that “Our challenge is not to passively condemn but to aggressively pursue initiatives that can positively respond and stamp out gender-based violence in our society.”
As part of the observation of “National Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women” the ministry and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) held a ‘Forum for Men’ last Thursday which was aimed at giving men the opportunity to do “some serious introspection,” the Government Infor-mation Agency (GINA) reported.
Thomas pointed out that, “Gender-based violence is real and men need to do something about it… most men condemn domestic violence but we cannot any longer allow condemnation to be just a personal view… I would like to see some form of resolution that does not merely articulate our condemnation of violence but one that can form a catalyst for the way forward that we as men can aggressively respond to domestic violence.”
The ministry has been conducting consultations throughout the country and working with institutions and groups to see how domestic violence can be eradicated from society.
Assistant Representative, UNFPA, Sub-Regional Office for the Caribbean, Patrice La Fleur told the workshop that although men and women have shared expectations, opportunities and behaviour often diverge widely but understanding these differences is essential when crafting policies and programmes for any society.
According to La Fleur some issues that need to be addressed include masculinity and if the only character of a man is to be harsh or angry or is it normal for a man to have some of the softer skills; the under achievement of boys, HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence.
“In this context UNFPA supports the need to work with men as partners and agents of change. We cannot address these problems without the involvement of men and women working together to address all the issues which challenge us,” La Fleur was quoted by GINA as saying.
Facilitator of the workshop, Beverly Braithwaite-Chan called on the male participants to state their expectations of the day’s activities. Some of the men responded that they hoped to be a better person, gain tolerance and knowledge, to be more involved in the fight against violence perpetrated on women and considered how they may pool their energies in a positive direction.
Organisations that participated in the workshop, GINA stated, included the Guyana Power and Light, the Guyana Defence Force, Youth Challenge Guyana, the Guyana Fire Service and Young Men’s Christian Association.