EnGenDER provides support for victims of gender-based violence
─ for Guyana COVID-19 relief project
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud today received 470 food hampers from the ‘Enabling Gender-Responsive Disaster Recovery, Climate and Environmental Resilience in the Caribbean’ (EnGenDER) project, for victims of gender-based violence across Guyana.
The hampers were made possible through the Government of Canada and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), which has allocated US$15 million towards tackling gender-based violence in nine participating countries in the Caribbean.
The donation was made by Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, His Excellency Mark Berman and United Kingdom’s High Commissioner (Ag) to Guyana Mr. Ross Denny at the Minister’s Lamaha Street office.
The EnGenDER project aims to integrate gender equality and human-rights based approaches into disaster risk management, climate change adaptation and environmental management frameworks and interventions. It identifies and addresses gaps, ensuring equal access to disaster risk reduction, climate change and environment solutions for men, women and children.
Dr. Persaud said the donation came at an opportune time, since women especially been felt the brunt of the pandemic. She said the Ministry will identify the beneficiaries through the various programmes it spearheads.
“Through all of these units, we engage with women who are in these kinds of situations of violence and so right away, we can reach out to them through your generous donation with these hampers and care packages and I think they will appreciate it because it’s been hard. It has been hard for the world and we are no different to the rest of the world,” Dr. Persaud said.
EnGenDER later made a donation of GPS units and satellite phones to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development to help with real-time communications from remote communities. The Ministry also received three field laptops to enhance data management and analysis in the remote locations.
Additionally, the Guyana Police Force also received Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitising agents for 139 officers trained to deal with gender-based violence across the country.