Download ‘iMatter’ App to help save lives – Human Services Minister urges public

Jan 25, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – ‘iMatter’, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s (MHSSS) Gender-Based Violence (GBV) App which was introduced last year, can be downloaded from both the Google Play store and Apple store and can be used to help save lives.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud proudly displays the mobile application ‘iMatter’ that allows persons to access help and information on Gender-Based Violence.

“Calling 914 is literally at our fingertips,” a release from the Ministry noted, “as the 914-panic button in the App is linked directly to the 914 number.”
Dr. Vindhya Persaud, the MHSSS Minister shared, “The App is part of the continuing work we are doing to tackle domestic violence. I wanted to ensure that persons out there have multiple ways to reach out for help, and putting the panic button in the App was something I insisted on. The team working on the App spared no effort to review and revise to have a user-friendly App that contains information and educational resources that will appeal to all ages and needs. I appeal to persons living in a violent situation to get on to 914, either by phone or App, because you matter to us and we do not want to see continued acts of violence that leave so much death, pain and scars in their wake. I encourage people to have every member of their family download the “iMatter App”, let’s save lives and stop the violence.”
This technological development allows persons to access help and resources on GBV and is a collaborative effort between the MHSSS and the Guyana Spotlight Initiative, a European Union–United Nations global partnership to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls. Its creation involved initial input by a local GBV activist while Techlify Inc. took the App to its current form under the guidance of UNFPA and the Ministry.
The application was launched in March, 2021 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre at the ‘We Lift’ event hosted by the Human Services Ministry and is available on all android (iMatter) and IOS devices (iMattergy) and easy to use. After downloading the App, persons can simply select the region in which they live to get started for educational information on GBV and to find support services for themselves or someone who is affected by violence.
The categories that can be selected include, sexual violence and disability, sexual exploitation and abuse, trafficking in persons, domestic violence, child abuse and elderly abuse. The application also contains useful resources and answers frequently asked questions that would help users understand more about GBV.
According to the Ministry, dedicated Gender-Based Violence case workers assigned to the Gender-Based Violence technological platform will respond by reaching out to a Gender-Based Violence survivor or individual at risk, via the communication channel that the individual has expressed a preference for.