16 Days of activism against GBV: Canada helping Guyana fight Gender Based Violence in practical ways – High Commissioner

…as State House lights up orange

In observance of 16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, State House was on Monday evening illuminated in orange lights with Canadian High Commissioner Sébastien Sigouin reflecting on the importance of advocacy against the scourge and the role Canada has played in helping Guyana to address it in a practical way.
The event was facilitated by First Lady Arya Ali, who was in attendance along with President Dr Irfaan Ali. According to the High Commissioner, Canada has provided various training, as well as working with persons in critical positions in Guyana relative to gender-based violence, such as medical workers and the justice system itself.
“Over the years, Canada has been working with our partners here in Guyana, to address gender-based violence in many, very practical ways. For example, we have been raising awareness on young men and women on how to prevent violence. We have trained doctors and nurses to identify abused women and girls. And we’ve also been working with the justice system to better address reports of violence,” Sigouin said.

“And to do so we’ve worked with various partners. We’ve worked with the UN (United Nations), the Guyana Police Force (GPF). We’ve also worked with organisations like Help and Shelter, the Justice Education System and others, just to mention those. And one of the key lessons we’ve learned is eliminating gender-based violence requires leadership, influence and action. Not just by our leaders, but by all of us.”
The high commissioner stressed that everyone, in their own ways, can contribute to eliminating gender-based violence. These ways include public advocacy, teaching both genders about gender-based violence or even attending events such as the orange lighting ceremony they were attending.
The ceremony also comes at a time when Canada is commemorating the December 6, 1989 Montreal Massacre, where 14 female students in the prestigious engineering school École Polytechnique were murdered by a gunman.
“This week, 35 years ago, a man entered a school in Montreal and killed 14 women and injured 13 other individuals. He killed 14 women just because they were women. And to this day, it’s still hard to understand how and why someone can commit such a horrible act. But it also reminds us how far gender-based violence and hatred for women can go,” he added.
Meanwhile, United Nations (UN) representative Dr Gillian Smith stressed the need for urgent action, justice and compassion, particularly for survivors. She also noted that the colour orange represents hope and a brighter future free from violence.
“The 16 days activism campaign mobilises individuals, organisations worldwide, to advocate for the prevention and elimination of such violence. We’re pleased to join with the High Commission of Canada and the Office of the First Lady in this effort.”
“This year marks 25 years since the UN General Assembly designated the 25th November as the international day for the elimination of violence against women. And next year will commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Beijing declaration and platform for action,” she added.
Dr Smith went on to commend the Guyana Government for its leadership and commitment, also singling out the First Lady for her advocacy against violence. She also committed the UN to lending continued support in the fight.
The 16 Days of Activism campaign is a global initiative, which begins on November 25, and serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing battle against gender-based violence. Only last week, it was revealed that for 2024 so far, the violence-based 914 toll-free hotline received some 6000 reports, all of which were addressed appropriately. Of the 6000 cases, 182 were related to domestic violence and 292 were related to child abuse cases.