The first of several ‘Hope and Justice’ centers was opened on Friday morning at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara. In attendance were several high-ranking officials from the government, judiciary, and social services, as well as other representatives from other prominent bodies in the field of social services.
“With hope, there is always justice, and with justice, there will always be hope, so the names marry well,” said the Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud at the opening ceremony.
The ‘Hope and Justice centers are poised to provide a ‘one-stop’ opportunity for legal and medical aid, counseling, and law enforcement services for persons dealing with gender-based violence.
This intervention will ensure that victims of gender-based violence can access all the required services in an integrated manner. The center also caters to temporary accommodation services.
The Inter-American Development Bank, under the Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) Programme, collaborated with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Legal Affairs for the construction of the Hope and Justice Centre.
Several other facilities of the same nature are being built across the nation, with Region One and Three being said to have their own centers next.
Minister Persaud expressed her hope that the centers will be extremely effective in impacting and transforming the fight against gender-based violence, stating that “this initiative…could not have been a more timely intervention.”