25 media operatives trained to report on GBV, sexual offences

Twenty-five media operatives were recently trained to report cases of Gender-Based Violence and other Sexual Offences.

The one-day Gender-Based Violence and Sexual Offences workshop was carried out by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Policy Unit (SOPVPU) at Regency Suites, Georgetown.

This is in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2010, for the ministry to execute activities in support of initiatives geared towards preventing sexual and gender-based violence.

The overarching aim of the initiative is to empower and edify media operatives with the knowledge and tools necessary to report sensitive issues responsibly and accurately.

The informative session delved into critical topics such as Court Protocol and Court Reporting, the Sexual Offences Act and Protocol and Effective Reporting of Gender-Based Violence Cases.

The ministry via Facebook extended gratitude to the media for participation in this continued effort.  

“We are committed to fostering a safer and more informed community and we appreciate the dedication of our media professionals in this endeavour. Let’s work together to create a society free from gender-based violence,” the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the ministry is also training citizens across the country to spot and address gender-based violence and combat sexual offences through the Community Advocates Network (CAN) initiative.

This initiative is geared to arm community advocates with the knowledge and skills they need to extend support to survivors in the region.

Additionally, members of the Guyana Police Force are being trained through a collaboration between the Human Services and Home Affairs ministries, to address issues of domestic violence under the COPSQUAD2000 initiative. The initiative seeks to ensure that once a domestic violence matter is brought to a police station, it will be handled in a manner in keeping with international best practices.