UNFPA hosts Sub-Regional Capacity Building Workshop on Comprehensive Clinical Management of Rape and Intimate Partner Violence

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) executed a Capacity Building Workshop for the Clinical Management of Rape (CMR) and Response to Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence in Georgetown, Guyana, from July 7 to 21, 2023. The workshop was made possible through the Canada funded EQUAL SRHR programme and the Canada funded Build Back Better programme.

A crucial intervention under UNFPA’s EQUAL SRHR programme is capacity building on CMR for survivors of Gender Based Violence. Survivors of GBV, including Sexual Violence (SV), require immediate lifesaving medical response to manage injuries as well as medication to prevent/treat sexually transmitted infections, prevent unwanted pregnancies, and death. Access to CMR and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) services and the capacity strengthening of health care workers to respond as well as implement the revised CMR protocols and guidelines are limited and continue to be identified as a major gap. 

The objectives of the UNFPA Sub-Regional Capacity Building Workshop were to equip health providers with the knowledge and skills to provide quality and empathetic services to survivors of Sexual Violence and Intimate Partner Violence and improve the understanding and robust application of the steps involved in the Clinical Management of Rape and Gender-Based Violence, including safe referrals to other services (social services, police and justice).

The Opening Session of the Workshop was addressed by UNFPA’s Liaison Officer for Guyana, Mr. Adler Bynoe; UNFPA’s CMR Specialist within the Global Roving Team, Ms. Suhaila Aboud; UNFPA’s SRH Technical Advisor for the Caribbean, Ms. Batula Abdi; the Canadian High Commissioner to Guyana, His Excellency Mr. Mark Berman, and the Chief Medical Officer for Guyana, Dr. Narine Singh. 

The EQUAL SRHR programme aims to enhance access to and use of quality Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) information and services, especially for survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Administrative Regions 1, 7, 8, and 9 in Guyana.