Civil Society Delegation reports on the human rights situation
GUYANA - A delegation of four young persons from various civil society member organizations of the Guyana Equality Forum (GEF), attended a thematic hearing of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on March 22, last, in Washington, DC, to present on the human rights situation affecting young persons in Guyana. First Secretary and Alternate Representative to the Organization of American States, John ChesterInniss, attended on behalf of the government as State Representative.
The GEF delegation presented on rights abuses against young persons in Guyana, primarily on the lack of implementation of policies and laws that would develop youth in Guyana, protect young people’s rights and citizen security in the state with emphasis on the deficiencies of Guyana’s new National Youth Policy in addressing these rights abuses against young people. Twinkle Bissoon addressed issues affecting youth due to discriminatory laws and open prejudice in society which encourages homophobic and transphobic bullying in schools, a cause for many LGBT students to drop-out and end their education prematurely; these disadvantaged youths who may not necessarily receive the support from their families are driven into poverty to fend for themselves and some come into contact with the law, turn to sex work and suffer disproportionately to realize their right to work. LGBT youth face marginalization and challenges accessing health care due to expressive, non-conforming sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and the lack of security and protection from the state. Kobe Smith spoke of the need for Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in schools due to the high rate of teenage pregnancy, sexual acts performed by teenagers and the general lack of knowledge on sexual health based on a 2015 survey conducted by the GRPA. He posited that the publicly-funded and implemented abstinenceonly Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) program, ignores young people’s basic human rights to the highest attainable standard of health by denying them critical lifesaving information and the fundamental public health principle of accurate, balanced sex education. He further called for the government to implement policies to encourage adolescent mothers and teenage mothers to continue their secondary education.
(kaieteurnews.com)