By Carl Croker
HUMAN Services and Social Security Minister Dr Vindhya Vasini Persaud on Sunday made a call for the establishment of a “single-fathers support group” following a walk organised by social activist, Randy Shepherd.

The walk dubbed, “It’s ok to say you’re not ok,” spearheaded by Shepherd who heads an organisation called “Men helping men, hearing men, healing men,” commenced at the Bank of Guyana and ended at the National Cultural Centre, where a number of speakers, including the minister, addressed those present.

Men helping men, hearing men, healing men, aims to address issues affecting men in society.

To this end, the minister informed the gathering at the end of the march, that her ministry, at the height of COVID-19 started a programme called a ‘Virtual Men’s Hangouts,’ which was intended to be a safe space where men could bond, share their views and perspectives without being judged, and get experiences from other men and experts who sat on a panel.

After six months of the Virtual Men’s Hang Out, she noted that the ministry was able to get men to speak on things that matter to them.

“One of the things I put as a topic was ‘expectations unrealistic,’ because I’ve heard it coming out without them seeing it,” the minister said.

She noted that men shared the concern that they are expected to have everything wrapped up in one human being, which is causing them much pressure.

The minister pointed to a number of training sessions being conducted across the country, in every region. She said the ministry also started men’s groups across all 10 regions and noted that the issues facing men were the same in every region.

Anger management and conflict-resolution courses are available to men at the Gender Affairs Bureau through the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, Minister Persaud informed.
The minister recalled that at the last international men’s day forum, many men from across the spectrum of civil society had raised many concerns just as the ones raised on the walk.

COMMITMENT
“I gave a commitment which I will hold myself to, that we will have a single father-support group. That is something that is necessary because I believe, here again, men need help. We are willing to provide it. Get men who are single fathers together so we can launch the first one and it will influence and inspire more men out there or perhaps a little reluctant or perhaps a little shy, to get into these support groups so that they can benefit from every level of support that we are offering, whether it’s counselling, whether it’s financial support,” the minister said.

In addition, she noted that the ministry will be launching a few other programmes which will focus on parenting for both men and women.

One of the programmes, ‘Partnership in Peace programme,’ focuses on relationships and specifically young people.

It is geared towards helping them to respect themselves, other people, and learning to have dialogue and conversations. It is intended to be able to culture language, to craft responses and to control emotions.

Another programme the ministry will embark on is the ‘Batterers Programme,’ a United Nations programme that will be integrated into the ministry’s structure where work on rehabilitation will be done working with men who are perpetrators of violence, ensure that they are able to have that second chance to be able to deal with core issues that got them there in the first place.

The ministry is also working on a huge initiative that will be launched in a couple of months, whereby men can get help in places that they usually frequent. Whether it is the bar or whether it is the sports club.

She noted that the ministry had crafted a programme for men called ‘Engagement’ at the launch of the last International Men’s Forum. This was done with the view to engaging men in many creative ways.

“We have to break this confines that keep men locked up in this thing that we should not ask for help, we should not seek help or we should not say we need help, and this has to come with more men like Mr Shepherd,” the minister said.