–so as all Guyanese may have a brighter tomorrow

ON the occasion of International Women’s Day, which is being observed under the theme “Gender Equality today for a Sustainable tomorrow”, the European Union/United Nations Spotlight Initiative (SI) in Guyana wishes to recognise the efforts of all women and girls who are contributing their innovative ideas and efforts towards creating a sustainable future.

Even as this recognition is given, much work is still required to achieve true gender equality, particularly with regard to Gender-Based Violence (GBV). Women and girls remain one of the most vulnerable groups globally. In Guyana, the Spotlight Initiative (SI) to eliminate violence against Women and Girls continues to support the national response to address GBV issues in Guyana.

The Spotlight Initiative is a global initiative of the United Nations, the objective of which is to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Its investments across more than 25 countries are in the areas of addressing legislative and policy gaps; strengthening institutions; promoting gender-equitable attitudes; and providing quality services for survivors. Its interventions are in the areas of strengthening systems for collecting data on violence against women and girls and women’s movements.

To date, key programme partnerships were established with the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS), as well as with eight civil society organisations (CSOs) that are instrumental in implementing the programme in communities. These CSOs have lauded the programme for filling major gaps relating to gender-based issues in Guyana since its establishment, including creating increased access, reach and referral of GBV services to persons in need.

PARTNERSHIPS AND RESULTS
The MHSSS and UNICEF conducted research on ‘New and Emerging Forms of Violence’ and a ‘Review of the Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Legislation’, to support the base needed for driving reforms on domestic violence. Based on this foundational work, a new draft Domestic Violence Bill 2021 has been proposed to strengthen the current framework, and, in 2022, the Ministry is expected to extend the recommended reforms, and propose a new Family Violence law (inclusive of intimate partner violence).

Further, in collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG) to build institutional capacity, a specialised course on addressing family and gender-based violence was drafted, titled “Resilience Against and Disruption of Gender-Based Violence”. In partnership with the MHSSS, a Plan of Action on GBV is also being drafted, and a review of the Social Protection Framework in relation to Domestic Violence is also being done.  Both are expected to be completed in 2022.

In March 2021, a GBV ‘app’ was created through a collaborative effort between the MHSSS and ‘Spotlight Initiative’. The “iMatter” app was created following consultation with GBV activist, Akola Thompson, while Techlify Inc. built the ‘app’ under the guidance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the MHSSS.

GBV survivors, persons at risk of GBV, and other vulnerable persons across Guyana will be supported with strengthened access to free legal services, through the launch of the Legal Pro-bono 500 Initiative. These services will be available to all eligible persons until the end of 2022.

In August 2021, the COPSQUAD2000 Initiative was launched through a joint partnership among the UNFPA, the MHSSS, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Guyana Police Force (GPF), and aims to build the capacity of the police to effectively respond to GBV cases.

In partnership with the MHSSS, the Spotlight Initiative began work on the Foundations Programme with UN Women, which aims to empower young people to prevent GBV by understanding the root causes, and creating a network of young people who will advocate for non-violent relationships.

WORK IN THE FIELD
The CSOs have conducted awareness and sensitisation efforts with community members, and worked with community leaders and residents on intervention and prevention programmes. Psychosocial services were provided to over 2217 beneficiaries, including survivors of GBV in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). This included counselling and forensic interviews for survivors of GBV, as well as referrals for other supportive services, community-based awareness and advocacy initiatives.