The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security has announced that its Gender-Based Violence (GBV) app, ‘iMatter,’ aimed at enabling access to information and support, can be now be downloaded from both the Google Play store and the Apple store.
The app, which was officially launched in March last year, is available for download on all android (iMatter) and iOS (iMattergy) devices.
In a press release issued yesterday, the ministry reminded that the development of the app stemmed from a collaboration between the Ministry and the Guyana Spotlight Initiative, a European Union–United Nations global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
It noted that the app makes calling the GBV hotline, 914, much easier. “Calling 914 is literally at our fingertips, as the 914-panic button in the App is linked directly to the 914 number,” the release said. Its creation involved initial input by a local GBV activist, while Techlify Inc. took the app to its current form under the guidance of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Ministry.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud was quoted in the release as saying that the app is part of her ministry’s continuing work to tackle domestic violence. “I wanted to ensure that persons out there have multiple ways to reach out for help, and putting the panic button in the App was something I insisted on. The team working on the app spared no effort to review and revise to have a user-friendly app that contains information and educational resources that will appeal to all ages and needs. I appeal to persons living in [a] violent situation to get on to 914, either by phone or app, because you matter to us and we do not want to see continued acts of violence that leave so much death, pain and scars in their wake. I encourage people to have every member of their family download the “iMatter app.” Let’s save lives and stop the violence,” she was quoted as saying.
Initially, the app was launched at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre during the opening of the ‘We-Lift – Women Entrepreneurs: We lead, we innovate, we flourish together” campaign. Liaison Officer from the UN FPA Adler Bynoe had given an overview of the GBV app and explained that it would allow anyone affected by violence to access information and the various agencies that can offer support or assistance. He also said that internet connection is not a requirement to access information. He said that persons can find the list of support services by region, information on any given GBV situation, and laws pertaining to GBV.
The release said the app contains useful resources and answers to frequently asked questions that would help users understand more about Gender-Based Violence. Dedicated Gender-Based Violence case workers assigned to the Gender-Based Violence technological platform will respond by reaching out to a Gender-Based Violence survivor or individual at risk, via the communication channel that the individual has expressed a preference for, it added.
