Over 140 police ranks from divisions across the country have benefitted from recently concluded training workshops on gender, sexuality and human rights.
A closing ceremony for the first phase of the training initiative, which is the result of a collaboration between the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) Guyana, and Guyana Trans United (GTU), the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Public Security, was held last Wednesday to mark World Day of Social Justice.
According to a press release issued on Thursday by SASOD Guyana, the ceremony was held at the Guyana Police Force Officers’ Training Centre, where Deputy Police Commissioner (Administration), Paul Williams, who represented Commissioner of Police, Leslie James, reiterated the GPF’s commitment to continuous education for the eradication of discrimination and the protection of human rights. “Mr. Williams remarked on the necessity of collaboration and training for collective progress, and endorsed subsequent phases of this collaborative training programme. He voiced optimism for an inclusive and respectful Police Force and stated “that there must be no discrimination,”” the release said.
It added that Williams told the gathering that the GPF would welcome posters on LGBTQ+ human rights for display at every police station in the country to remind the officers of their commitments to equality and respect for gender and sexual diversity, based on this training intervention.
Also speaking at the ceremony was Clement Henry, Manager of the Citizens Security Strengthening Programme at the Ministry of Public Security, who discussed the necessity of such training to address pervasive discrimination in Guyana at its core.
The release noted that 143 officers from all the divisions across the country benefitted from the training, which was delivered in the first series of two-day workshops, entitled “Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights,” facilitated by SASOD Guyana and GTU. The training, which began on January 21st, 2019, was designed to educate officers on basic human rights, and sensitise them to the unique needs of vulnerable populations, including gender and sexual minorities. “The pre/post-test results from the first phase of the training have shown a marked improvement of the police officers’ knowledge and understanding of diversity issues,” the release added.
With ongoing support from the Ministry of Public Security and the Guyana Police Force, the release noted, the training programme will be extended to more members of the GPF on a broader scale in the coming months.
Senior Superintendent Fizal Karimbash, the Lead Training Officer, United Nations Resident Coordinator Mikiko Tanaka, other members of the diplomatic corps, public officials, officers of the GPF, and civil society representatives, and sexual and gender minorities were also present at the closing ceremony.
