The Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in collaboration with the Men Engaging, Enabling, Establishing Network (MEN) will conduct a domestic violence awareness session at the West Demerara Floodlight Football Tournament finals today at the Pouderoyen Community Centre Ground.

The Government Information Agency (GINA) said in a release that the focus of this session will be on heightening awareness of the consequences of domestic violence with special emphasis on changing the habits of men. Statistics show that men are the perpetrators 95 per cent of the time for this crime.

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony will make brief presentations at the football tournament. It is hoped that this venue will provide an audience that will be receptive to the message of combating domestic violence.

The tournament is an annual event hosted by the Men’s Department of the Harvest Time Church of God, and in keeping with the focus on men, this year’s theme is ‘The ultimate goal – Men as violence stoppers’.

The ministry has been hosting domestic violence awareness sessions throughout the country with focus on target groups. Some of these sessions have been held with hosts/hostesses of entertainment programmes, staff of the Government Information Agency, basketball players from the Pepsi Sonics Basketball team, members of Zahiff’s Gym, the Guyana Association of Scrabble Players, students of Carnegie School of Home Economics, members of the Guyana Girl Guides Association, groups in Linden and Berbice and recently a session was held with the women’s arm of the General Workers Union (GAWU).