SASOD offering free counselling, legal services for vulnerable groups

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination Guyana (SASOD) has announced free counselling and legal services for vulnerable persons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

SASOD explained that the pandemic continues to present significant challenges for vulnerable communities, including women, girls, youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queers (LGBTQ+), persons with disabilities, persons living with HIV, migrants, the elderly and those in extreme poverty.
“A key element to these challenges is the pandemic of gender-based violence, which disproportionately affects one in three women globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The sad reality is that many women and girls who are trying to reduce the contraction of COVID-19 by observing quarantine and lockdown measures are confined to their homes with abusers. In many countries, there has been a significant increase in the number cases of sexual and gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, as data from UNFPA,” SASOD said in a recent statement.
To this end, the human rights advocacy group underscored its concerns about the increase in incidents of cyber-bullying against LGBTQ+ persons in Guyana.

“Many of these cases are unreported and perpetrators are not held accountable,” it explained.
In addition, SASOD said that they are cognisant of the devastating and traumatic effects that these acts of violence have on the mental health of persons.
“Against this background, SASOD Guyana with support from the Caribbean Vulnerable Communities Coalition (CVC), is offering free counselling sessions utilising Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platforms, as we continue to practice physical distancing. For survivors of gender-based violence, free legal services are also offered by our pool of CARIBONO lawyers through our Community Paralegal Services Programme,” the statement from SASOD detailed.
Meanwhile, persons who are interested in these services are asked to call, SMS or WhatsApp SASOD Guyana on mobile number +592 623 5155.
“These support services are life-saving and essential, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalised among us”, the organisation added.
SASOD has been providing informal legal services to members of the LGBTQ+ community over the past years two years. In 2018, the organisation established a more structured paralegal service initiative so that it can secure funding for such initiatives for vulnerable groups particularly the LGBTQ+ community.
Its services include a network of experienced attorneys that provide their services on a pro bono basis to the clients.