– initiative aims to strengthen gender-sensitive and culturally aware judicial practices in Guyana

MAGISTRATES across Guyana’s Magisterial Districts, on Tuesday, participated in a specialised workshop focused on “Applying a Trauma-Informed, Gender and Culturally Sensitive Approach to the Application of Justice.”

The one-day session, held on October 28, 2025, was facilitated by The Honourable Chief Justice Melissa Gillespie of the Provincial Court of British Columbia, Canada.
The training was a collaborative effort between the Judiciary of Guyana and the Justice Education Society (JES) Guyana, with funding from Global Affairs Canada. It forms part of a broader initiative to enhance the judiciary’s capacity to deliver gender-responsive justice for women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
According to global data from the World Health Organization (2013), one in three women has experienced physical and/or sexual violence in her lifetime. The situation is even more alarming in Guyana, where studies suggest that one in every two women has faced some form of violence.
Recognising that many survivors of gender-based violence live with long-term trauma, the workshop emphasised the importance of a trauma-informed approach—an evidence-based framework that acknowledges the links between violence, trauma, and adverse health outcomes.
This method, widely adopted in developed countries, promotes judicial and service-delivery practices that are sensitive to survivors’ experiences and that avoid retraumatisation during the legal process.
The session also drew on the Guiding Principles for Working with Survivors of Gender-Based Violence, which underscore the need for empathy, confidentiality, and survivor-centred support in all aspects of justice delivery.
By the end of the training, Guyanese magistrates gained deeper insight into how trauma-informed, gender-responsive, and culturally aware judicial practices can improve the administration of justice.
The knowledge gained is expected to help magistrates integrate best practices into court proceedings, ensuring that survivors are treated with dignity, fairness, and compassion.
The workshop represents a continuing effort by Guyana’s judiciary, supported by international partners, to modernise its approach to justice and strengthen institutional responses to gender-based violence within the country’s legal framework.