The Guyanese Women in Development (GUYWID), an NGO, is to sponsor a three- day domestic violence workshop in New Amsterdam this month which will be open to men as well as women.
Sadhoo said also that the NGO, which has 22 active members and 22 volunteers, recognises the need for a workshop to educate persons about domestic violence, and has been given tangible support for its proposal by the Carter Center in Georgetown. The Centre provides funding for GUYWID as well as facilitating various training programmes.
The GUYWID executive said that domestic violence in Berbice should be addressed urgently and women must become knowledgeable about their legal rights under the Domestic Violence Act and motivated to exercise them.
Moreover, Sadhoo noted, while the public needs to become familiar with the various aspects of the act, the police have to be more professional in dealing with domestic violence complaints.
Sadhoo told Stabroek News that the problem of domestic violence is affecting people across a wide cross-section of communities.
She further observed that an overall decline in family ties is evident and domestic violence has an impact on national development, since youths affected by abusive relationships in the home become so traumatized that they become school drop-outs, drug users and quite often display aggressive tendencies that pose a threat to law and order.
Meanwhile GUYWID, which has been involved also in efforts to enhance the environment, donated and erected 11 garbage bins in New Amsterdam but people have not been utilizing the containers in the best way.
In that light, the NGO is pleading with New Amsterdamers to desist from littering and not to use the garbage bins for dumping household refuse.
Sadhoo told this newspaper that some business people have been throwing large quantities of garbage in the bins which makes a mess of the surrounding area.
The mission of the NGO is to foster a community of independent women who are empowered to function in key leadership positions while being always ready to share their expertise and skills with others.