THE Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on Tuesday held a one-day consultation on the report submitted by Guyana’s Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the proposed Family Violence Bill.

The forum, which saw dozens of stakeholders in attendance, was one of the activities planned for the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, and was held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

The CEDAW is a body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the convention which was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. The committee is mandated to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women in all areas of life, and to ensure women’s full development and advancement so that they can exercise and enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms in the same way as men.

In presenting the CEDAW report, the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud said that since taking office in 2020, government has implemented a number of policies, initiatives, and programmes that deals with abuse against women.

She emphasised that the government has remained steadfast in its commitment towards an equitable society where women enjoy freedom, and all other aspects of human rights.

She assured her audience that positive actions are being taken to remove the barriers and prevent reversals that can hinder the full realisation of those rights.

The minister also noted that the mid-term report has given a “more recent picture” of where Guyana is presently as a country.
Minister Persaud said that through her office, there has been a series of developments that are geared at empowering women, particularly in the areas of innovation and investment.

She said the women’s innovation investment network would not have been able to serve women in all the regions of Guyana, if it wasn’t for the inclusion of the government policies.

It was explained that the women are exposed to a high-grade model of training that is done both in person and virtually.

Minister Persaud, in her remarks, encouraged the women across Guyana to make use of the “multiple areas” of training that will be made available in 2023.

She said women from the migrant population, specifically Venezuelans, will be given an opportunity to participate in the training programmes.

INTENSIFY TRAINING
According to the minister, the government plans to intensify the training in the coming year to accommodate more women.

Additionally, she stated that the government is “heavily focused” on justice for women and juveniles. A Guyana Legal Aid Clinic pilot project, which is being funded by the IDB as part of its support for Guyana’s criminal justice system, is currently ongoing. The project was one of the committee’s recommendations in the concluding observations.

Minister Persaud expressed the belief that sexual offences courts are now fully operational and capable of assisting people in other parts of the country, including rural communities.

In response to questions raised during one of the discussions, she said that the government, the Ministry of Education and her ministry are all working together to have counsellors placed in schools across Guyana.

According to her, they are also addressing issues such as bullying and low self-esteem at the school level. These are part of the efforts being made to educate young people about gender-based violence and abuse.

In its quest to achieve a cultural and behavioural shift in people, the ministry recently launched a parenting training manual and workbooks for parents.

The minister said that persons will soon be going into communities to have dialogue with men on a range of topics.

In Guyana’s effort to address gender inequality, gender-based violence and family violence, the government received a “boost” when they signed on to Spotlight in October 2020.

The minister noted that Guyana had made “significant improvements in all aspects of all programmes as it relates to gender-based violence.”

Meanwhile, Queen’s Counsel Darshan Ramdhani later explained that there is a change from “domestic violence” to “family violence” in the proposed Bill.

The legislation seeks to address shortcomings in the current domestic violence laws, and implement measures which are deemed necessary to tackle and eventually end gender-based violence in Guyana.

Gender Affairs Bureau Director Hymwattie Lagan, and the UN Resident Coordinator Yesim Oruc also addressed the gathering.