UNFPA partners with Govt to support GBV training for Police

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) recently handed over essential materials to the Human Services and Social Security Ministry to support the continued training of members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases and to support further efforts to strengthen accountability mechanisms within the Guyana Police Force (GPF) under the COPSQUAD initiative. The materials handed over include 3,000 GBV Training Manuals; 3,000 COPSQUAD Pins and 3,000 COP Squad Training Certificates.

These materials facilitate continued GBV training of members of the GPF as well as continued support for the strengthening of accountability mechanisms within the GPF to enhance the quality of service delivered to survivors of GBV and persons at risk of GBV.

The support falls under COPSQUAD, an initiative which was launched in 2021 by the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, and which includes the Ministry of Home Affairs, the GPF and UNFPA, to strengthen law enforcement responses to GBV across Guyana. In accepting the resources, subject Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud, expressed appreciation of UNFPA’s ongoing support of this initiative. She noted the improved capacity of the GPF to address GBV and reiterated her Ministry’s commitment to ensuring that even more GPF members complete the training. UNFPA is the primary technical partner that has supported the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security with the development of a specialised GBV Training Manual for members of the GPF and the training of more than 5,000 members of the GPF to date. Building on this success, UNFPA also commissioned the translation of the GBV Training Manual into an official GBV Curriculum for full integration into the Guyana Police Academy. Members of the GPF who complete the required GBV training receive certificates and are pinned with an official COPSQUAD badge which forms part of their official uniform kit and signifies that they have received specialised GBV training and are expected to deliver a high standard of professional and compassionate service when addressing GBV cases.