Magistrates receive insight into gender, cultural sensitivity in judicial field

Magistrates serving in all magisterial districts across Guyana participated in a one-day workshop aimed at strengthening their understanding of gender bias, stereotypes, and the delivery of gender-responsive justice for women and girls who are survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. The workshop, titled “Applying a Trauma-Informed Gender and Culturally Sensitive Approach to the Application of Justice”, was conducted on Tuesday by Chief Justice Melissa Gillespie of the Provincial Court of British Columbia. It was hosted through collaboration between the Judiciary of Guyana and the Justice Education Society (JES Guyana) and funded by Global Affairs Canada.
The session sought to heighten awareness among members of the Judiciary about how gender bias and stereotypes influence judicial decision-making and how trauma-informed approaches can lead to fairer and more sensitive outcomes in cases involving survivors of gender-based violence.

Globally, one in three women experiences physical and/or sexual violence by a partner or sexual violence by a non-partner, according to the World Health Organization (2013). Data from Guyana indicates that one in every two women has experienced violence. Recognising that survivors of sexual and gender-based violence often have histories of trauma, the provision of judicial and support services in Guyana requires diverse and specialised interventions.
Service providers are guided by a critical mandate to avoid retraumatising survivors who seek justice or support. This aligns with the Guiding Principles for Working with Survivors of Gender-Based Violence established by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which emphasises respect, safety, confidentiality, and non-discrimination.
Trauma-informed approaches have been widely recognised in developed countries as effective frameworks, particularly for institutions within the criminal justice system. These approaches acknowledge the deep connections between violence, trauma, and negative health and social outcomes and seek to ensure that interactions with survivors are empathetic and empowering rather than harmful.
At the conclusion of the workshop, magistrates were expected to gain a deeper understanding of how to utilise trauma-informed, gender-sensitive, and culturally responsive methods throughout and beyond the adjudication process. This insight is expected to strengthen their capacity to integrate best practices into Guyana’s judicial system – ensuring that survivors of sexual and gender-based violence are treated with the fairness, compassion, and dignity they deserve.
This workshop significantly aligns with President Dr Irfaan Ali’s goal to “aggressively” address violence against women.
Back in June, the Head of State announced the launch of a new programme to charge the fight against gender-based violence, particularly where women are victims.
According to the President, the use of technology in the fight against gender-based violence will help everyone. While he did not delve into the details of this new initiative, he was adamant that more information would soon be forthcoming.
It had been reported in December last year that Guyana recorded a 33 per cent reduction in murders caused by domestic violence for the year 2024. This had been according to Human Services and Social Security Minister Vindhya Persaud, who had noted that the decrease in number can be attributed to a plethora of measures, including those that have been implemented by the Ministry.
“When we started with all of our measures, there was an increase in cases at first. Now, there has been a decrease, and this may be as a result of more people reporting or maybe because more responses are forthcoming. But this does not mean that we should sit around; we still have work to do,” the Minister had explained.
Some of the measures implemented by the Ministry include the Community Advocate Network (CAN), the 914 hotlines, the iMatter app and the Hope and Justice Centres. Additionally, the 914 toll-free hotline is the Ministry’s main reporting tool for victims to reach out for help. The hotline is operated on a 24-hour basis. For last year, some 6000 calls were recorded through this medium. Out of that number, 182 calls dealt directly with domestic violence.
The Government has also been implementing measures like the Hope and Justice Centre, which provides victims of domestic violence with essential services like counselling and legal aid. Additionally, the Government has partnered with the Guyana Bar Association so that the Legal Pro Bono Unit can handle hundreds of cases annually. This allows victims of abuse to access free legal advice and support.