TECHNOLOGICAL gadgets have become important tools in the fight against gender-based violence in Guyana, and the Ministry of Social Protection has said that, with the use of mobile phones and the Internet, women are more liberal in speaking out.Ministry of Social Protection Senior Gender Specialist, Adel Lily, has said that, with the popular use of such technologies, Guyana has great potential to combat gender-based violence at a scale never before seen. Lily was speaking at a forum organized to launch the Merundoi website at the National Cultural Centre on Monday.

“Mobile phones and the Internet give women mobility and freedoms to speak to whomever they want, whenever they want – otherwise restricted in many parts of the world — and allow for crowd-sourced tools like maps of assaults, and better reporting,” he reported.

The release of smartphone applications which “improve safety and raise awareness, allow anonymous reporting mechanisms and a system that automatically sends GPS coordinates to friends if (someone) feels at risk”, Lily stated.

Gender differences, cultural suitability, and the needs of victims and survivors in the design, implementation, testing and analysis of technology-based applications and solutions are essential, and must be kept in mind.
He commended the launch of the website by the Merundoi organization to assist in the battle against gender-based violence and other social ills, and said Merundoi has made a smart choice by investing in technology around gender violence prevention.

Gender-based violence affects the development of a country and poses a threat to progress; and though this is not remotely excusable, it has a tendency to happen anywhere or at any time, Lily said. He added that the ministry has adopted a no-tolerance policy toward gender-based violence, and there is absolutely no justification for such acts, since in all its manifestations, gender-based violence is a hate crime punishable by law.

“For many years, many cultures and societies have regarded domestic violence — and moreso gender- based violence — as a personal issue or private concern,” with many saying “keep out of the woman-and-the-man story!”

He explained that violence within the home goes far beyond an individual, affecting the entire family, community, and generations to come; even resulting in them being impoverished, since someone threatened by domestic violence will suffer in executing his/her work; in making valuable contribution to his/her family and society; and in creating a safer home for his/her family.

According to Lily, perpetrators of domestic violence can stop, since it is preventable with multiple holistic interventions, resulting in long-lasting and permanent effects.
Stakeholders from various sectors should be engaged in finding solutions, since evidence is emerging on interventions that domestic violence can be cured. Effective responses to violence against women and girls are critical as fundamental building blocks for prevention.

Lily reported that the World Health Organization had indicated in 2013 that intimate partner violence affects 30 percent of women worldwide, while 38 % of all women murdered are killed by their intimate partners.

In 2013 in Guyana, 21 of the 29 murder victims of domestic violence were women and girls. This year, that figure was surpassed, with some 400 reported cases of domestic violence by women alone; and compared to last year, 17 women were killed as victims of domestic violence, while, in 2015, 19 women were murdered by October 25, as a result of gender-related violence in Guyana.