The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant challenges for vulnerable communities

Jun 03, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present significant challenges for vulnerable communities, including women, girls, youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer (LGBTQ+) persons, 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 Organization (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.
Further to this, SASOD Guyana is concerned 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. We are aware of the devastating and traumatic effects, which 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 practise 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. SASOD Guyana remains a leading defender of human rights for all people in Guyana and the Caribbean. We are in this together.

Yours truly,
Kobe Smith
Human Rights Coordinator, SASOD Guyana

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