The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Bar Association of Guyana yesterday signed an agreement to cater for the provision of free legal representation for 500 victims of gender-based violence.
In a statement, the ministry yesterday said that as part of its mandate to end gender-based violence and specifically violence against women and girls in Guyana, it has initiated programmes geared towards providing efficient and effective services to victims of gender-based violence. “The Legal Pro-bono 500 Initiative was conceptualized by the Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud, to expand the provision and reach of free legal services to persons experiencing gender-based violence,” the release added.
The initiative is to be operationalised in January, 2022.
The ministry highlighted data from the 2019 Guyana Women’s Health and Life Experiences survey that revealed that most survivors of gender-based violence are not provided with services at acceptable rates. Justice and legal services can be a challenge for vulnerable groups of people across Guyana due to high legal costs, limited legal aid reach in certain regions, backlog of cases and lengthy trials, lack of human and technological resources, the release said.
The release added that the ministry sees the need for the expansion of free legal services as it explained that access by victims can diminish the losses experienced by women, children, families, and communities in terms of productivity, education and achievement. But, most importantly, this service can help break the cycle of violence, it added.
The ministry said that it recognises that the Bar Association of Guyana is equipped with the necessary resources and expertise to provide high quality essential legal services, making it a reliable strategic partner to provide additional free legal services to gender-based violence victims.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the ministry and the Bar Association yesterday, outlines their respective obligations and responsibilities under the Legal Pro-Bono 500 Initiative. This includes the Bar Association’s commitment to providing pro-bono legal services to 500 gender-based violence victims. The Memorandum of Understanding was executed by the President of the Bar Association of Guyana Pauline Chase, and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security Shanielle Hoosain-Outar.
At the signing, Persaud signaled her intention to engage other existing law societies to provide pro-bono legal services. “Access to justice is even more important when someone has experienced domestic violence and this initiative will complement the already existing and overburdened legal aid services,” she was quoted as saying.
Persaud also acknowledged the contribution of the Bar Association and thanked it for “unhesitatingly partnering” with the ministry. She also said that she looks forward to a time when “there will be a lesser need for this type of service but for now, the Ministry is ensuring that every survivor has access to justice as it is their fundamental human right”.
For her part, Chase said “initiatives such as these do not imbalance the scales of lady justice but rather assist in lending balance”.
Meanwhile, the ministry said it has engaged the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), under the Spotlight Initiative, to provide funding and technical support through the establishment of a legal pro-bono referral department within the ministry to ensure that the new scheme is effectively managed and is sustainable.
According to the release, the UNFPA Liaison Officer, Adler Bynoe, was present and reaffirmed UNFPA’s commitment to supporting the Ministry.
