| In an attempt to break the gender norms as it relates to violence while at the same time shedding light on some of the atrocities that have been perpetrated in the society over the years, robust efforts were engaged by the Ministry of Human Services through it Men’s Affairs Bureau, last year.At least this is according to Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Reverend Patrick Findlay, who during the Ministry’s inaugural press conference for 2013 said that gender-based and domestic violence are often linked to “the way that we have been socialised.”Moreover, he said that the Men’s Affairs Bureau, aside from counselling and talking with men and families in its Human Services-based office “has been able to do a lot of work in 2012 and in the communities trying to update and to reduce instances of violence by raising awareness.”Understandably the Department’s focus has been on men, and according to Reverend Findlay, “we will try to do more in 2013 and bring some measure of stability in our country.”He revealed that in accordance with its objective to have men be better husbands, fathers and role models in the society, moves were made to meet and conduct comprehensive consultations and one on one talks with men and boys in all 10 administrative regions.Apart from going out and meeting with men in those communities, the Men’s Affairs Bureau effectively created space as well as an opportunity for men to visit its Human Services Office to talk about their issues and to ventilate and get an opportunity to gain perspective and direction to handle troubling issues.Moreover, in the first quarter of the past year, the Bureau made its way into 21 secondary schools in Georgetown alone to hold sensitisation and awareness sessions with young men. This was primarily because “we feel that if we are going to make any headway and do anything in the community that pertains to gender-based violence and domestic violence, particularly, we need to start with our younger generation.”The Bureau was also able to work with some men’s groups as well as churches in the communities of Agricola, Mocha, and a few others on the East Bank of Demerara, the West Bank of Demerara, East Coast of Demerara and even areas on the Corentyne.In the second quarter of 2012, the Bureau had engagements with secondary schools in Regions Two, Three and Four. This round of sensitisation, according to Reverend Findlay, saw the Bureau being able to reach all secondary schools on the Essequibo Coast “where we had sensitization and awareness sessions and workshops with the boys and male teachers there about gender-based and domestic violence, anger management and conflict resolution.”During the second quarter, too, the Bureau had its first ever walkathon entitled “Men against domestic violence” which was led by President Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds,Al Jefferson Jersey, and participation from a number of government ministers and the ambassadors of the United States and Mexico along with representatives of other international agencies.“That was a very good gesture where men were able to declare from the onset that they weren’t going to use force to settle their issues. At that particular walkathon we converged on the tarmac of the National Park and we had the men in attendance sign a covenant that was going to remind them of their roles as protectors, providers, carers and everything else, so that we can be able to have a better society,” Reverend Findlay asserted. |
