Curtailing gender based violence, teenage pregnancy, poverty reduction among vulnerable groups and creating initiatives to empower women were some of the areas discussed by UN Resident Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liaison Officer, Adler Bynoe during a courtesy call on the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud on Friday, August 28 2020.

Additionally, Ms. Tanaka informed the Minister that the United Nations is eager to launch and commence the implementation of the Spotlight Initiative – a European Union/United Nations global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Guyana has been selected as one of six Caribbean countries to benefit from the Initiative.

The Guyana Spotlight programme will provide a unique opportunity for the Ministry and its international partners to address family violence as a major public health and development issue with significant ramifications at the individual, community and national levels.

Five priority areas of intervention for the Spotlight programme will be (i) Sexual and Gender-Based Violence; (ii) School based Gender-Based Violence; (iii) Intimate Partner Violence; (iv) Incest/ early sexual initiation/ teen and pre-teen pregnancies; (iv) Forced sex by a family member or relative.