Saddened at the recent loss of lives through domestic violence, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security yesterday called for the assistance of members of the public and victims in reporting incidents so that they can be addressed.
It urged that reports be made of the incidents wherever and whenever they occur to the nearest police station or to the ministry on telephone numbers 225-4362, 227-3497.
A release from the Ministry outlined the steps it has taken to address this scourge and said that it advocates in every community, school and sports club in which it works that domestic violence is everyone’s business; ‘We are our brothers and sisters keepers.’
Noting that the ministry’s Men’s Affairs Bureau (MAB) had reached out to over 20,000 boys and men,the release said “We continue to implore perpetrators to seek help through the government system or non-governmental organisations. These incidences are preventable, but require much effort from perpetrators, victims, communities, civil society, government and other partners.”
The release added that the ministry, independently and in collaboration with its partners, has been addressing domestic violence through training, advocacy, sensitisation and awareness programmes. In keeping with its mandate the ministry through many of its sections/departments has launched a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted approach to deal with this problem in a holistic manner.
Officers of the Probation and Social Services Depart-ment work in communities across the country sensitising the public about the services available to victims, provide counselling services to victims and perpetrators and make community members aware of their social responsibility to report cases of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) that occur in their respective communities.
It said that in the last two years, the MAB has been working with young boys and men in schools, sports clubs and football teams to address issues such as anger management, domestic violence prevention and interactions with the opposite sex via the “No More Black and Blue” and the “Red Card Domestic Violence” campaigns. The Ministry has worked in more than 30 schools and communities targeting more than 20,000 boys and men.
The Women’s Affairs Bureau (WAB) through its regional arm, the Regional Women’s Affairs Commit-tees, continues advocacy against gender-based and domestic violence through their domestic violence prevention programmes. In addition, the WAB continues to host sensitisation sessions through Faith Based Organisations on many issues such as conflict and anger management, and exiting situations involving domestic violence.
The release said that in addition, the ministry continues to provide financial support to Help and Shelter with an annual subvention of $10 million, for the daily operation of the home for survivors of domestic violence.
Through the Guyana Legal Aid Clinic, the ministry provides legal advice and services to the survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence in four coastal regions.
It said that the Guyana Women’s Leadership Insti-tute has also conducted training for volunteers in Regions 3, 4 and 5 to work in their communities to provide immediate support to victims, perpetrators and survivors of GBV. So far, 93 volunteers have been trained and during the last quarter of this year, training will be conducted for persons living in communities along the East Bank of Demerara and in Region 2. The programme will be expanded to include other Regions to assist in the reduction of gender-based violence.
According to the release, the Board of Industrial Training has also been assisting in the empowerment of people by providing training, inclusive of a travelling stipend, to single parents, equipping them with a skill to earn and achieve financial independence. These programmes were designed because existing empirical evidence reveals that financial dependence is a critical factor in the decisions made by persons who remain in abusive relationships.
It also said recognition that poverty is a factor in GBV guides the operation of the Difficult Circumstances Unit.
