Government

National Policy On Gender In The Works

A national policy on gender is expected to be submitted to Cabinet before the end of the financial year, March 2025.

Additionally, Government is looking to conduct a study on the prevalence of gender-based violence in Barbados to give a true picture of the problem.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Jehu Wiltshire, made the disclosure this morning at the launch of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence.

He told those in attendance that Government took the issue of GBV and domestic violence “very seriously” and was working with its international partners to eliminate its stain on Barbadian society.

The Permanent Secretary explained that data was needed to formulate policies and programmes to achieve this goal. He lauded entities such as the UN Women and the Institute for Gender and Development Studies for working with the ministry to develop a comprehensive national policy on gender.

Mr. Wiltshire explained that gender-based violence in the Caribbean was rife, with figures as high as one in two women experiencing this type of violence in some countries compared to the global statistics of one in three women.

He added that figures from the World Bank indicate that 3.7 per cent of a country’s gross domestic product was affected by such violence and suggested local figures could reflect this when a prevalence study is eventually conducted.

The Permanent Secretary noted that collecting data on domestic violence in Barbados was a challenge.

“The reports of the Criminal Justice Unit in the Office of the Attorney General indicate that cases of gender-based violence are definitely underreported and that police statistics do not comprehensively capture the extent of the problem.

“We recognise that redress of gender-based violence is urgent; it is an obstacle to gender equality and a threat to sustainable development. Not only is it dangerous to the health of women and girls, it also adds to the burden of health care costs, along with that of policing, judicial costs, underachievement in education, and loss of productivity at work,” he pointed out.

He said statistics show that women were more likely to experience a higher level of gender-based violence in times of crisis. This was evident, he said, during the COVID-19 pandemic when The Barbados Police Service observed a 38 per cent increase in domestic violence reports. Many of which were as a result of intimate partner violence.

Mr. Wiltshire also shared that the Ministry had put many programmes in place to deal with gender-based violence and the other problems associated with it. These include:

A Resilience and Reintegration Programme to provide social relief to those persons impacted by disaster and emergency situations, and homelessness.
A Partnership for Peace Programme, now in its 16^th cohort, which addresses the male perpetrators of domestic violence. It is expected to be enhanced in the next year in partnership with UN Women.
A programme targeting public service vehicle (PSV) drivers and conductors who come into contact with several women during the week. It aims to ensure that women and girls are treated with the respect that they deserve by these PSV workers. It is also being conducted in conjunction with UN Women.
A Thousand Family Programme, which works with vulnerable families to empower them. The programme has a gender component to empower boys, women, and girls.
Reinstituting the National Committee on Gender-based Violence with stakeholders from various entities tasked with developing strategies, and preparing a national action plan to accompany the national gender policy.

“I want to thank you the stakeholders and partners for working with the Bureau of Gender Affairs and the Ministry, to address gender-based violence. Government cannot do it all alone; we recognise we need to have a number of other entities working in the space with a view of eliminating this scourge; this stain on society,” he stressed. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Jehu Wiltshire (centre), speaking to (from left), Lecturer at The UWI’s Institute for Gender and Development Studies, Dr. Tonya Haynes; High Commissioner of Canada to Barbados, Brenda Wills; Director of the Bureau of Gender Affairs, William Warner (right), and other representatives at today’s launch.

Government

BARBADOS ELECTED PRESIDENT AND PROUD HOST OF THE XXXIV GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MINURVI

The Honorable Dwight Sutherland, Minister of Housing, Lands and Maintenance, has been elected as the President of the Thirty-Fourth General Assembly of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Housing and Urban Development for Latin America and the Caribbean (XXXIV MINURVI).

This prestigious appointment took place during the recently concluded Thirty-Third Assembly held in Belem, Brazil last week (December 12 and 13, 2024), setting the stage for an exciting future.

This significant development will see Barbados hosting the XXXIV Assembly for the first time next year, marking yet another extraordinary milestone for the country and the region, as the esteemed conference was last held in the Caribbean some ten years ago.

“I am extremely proud to be chosen to represent Barbados at this level. It is indeed a tribute to the remarkable display of leadership and vision that is now synonymous with the country,” Minster Sutherland stated.

“I step into this role with a commitment to further the institutional strengthening of the MINURVI coalition through enhanced collaboration among member countries. As I emphasised in my acceptance speech last week, there is an urgent need to build resilience within our territories amidst the escalating climate crisis, and this will be high on my agenda.

“The upcoming assembly promises to be a landmark event, fostering collaboration and innovation at a time when it is needed most. It presents a unique opportunity for local entrepreneurs to showcase pioneering housing solutions and collaborate with MINURVI partners in the development of innovative adaptive housing technologies and we look forward to an inspiring gathering that not only celebrates our achievements but also paves the way for a sustainable future,” he added.

With 35 member nations, MINURVI serves as a vital platform for dialogue and partnership, allowing Ministers and High-Level Authorities responsible for housing and sustainable urban development to converge, share best practices, and devise effective solutions to tackle the pressing challenges faced within the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) subregion. (PR)

Government

National Peace Program Launches LIVEWISE Campaign

The National Peace Program (NPP) is rolling out more initiatives to engage young people in a meaningful way.

Minister of State in the Office of the Attorney General with responsibility for Crime Prevention, Corey Lane, today launched the LIVEWISE Campaign during a media briefing at Starcom Network.

“The LIVEWISE Campaign has 14 different programmes…. I believe about four or five of those are ready, … and members of the public will be able to see these exciting, quality programmes….

“One of the highly anticipated programmes for me is Turnaround, where you will see how a number of very serious characters in Barbados, who would have been known for some of the most serious crimes, have been able to turn their life around,” Mr. Lane stated.

He encouraged the public to also look out for the Consequences and Positive Profiles programmes, describing them as excellent.

He believes the campaign will assist in bringing about meaningful behavioural change and an awareness of NPP’s work. The LIVEWISE Campaign will commence soon, and the programmes will be available on radio, television, and various social media platforms.

Minister Lane stated that NPP partnered with the Great Hope Foundation and Minors Club to launch the National Extreme Games Platform, where young people will be exposed to riding bikes, ATVs, go-carts, bicycles, and mountain bikes off-road, in a safe way.

He noted that the National Extreme Games initiative was an opportunity to positively impact the lives of talented young people, while giving them an opportunity to receive personal and professional development, among other things.

Great Hope Foundation donated four bikes to the programme.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lane disclosed that NPP would be seeking to implement its 215 initiatives over the next three years.

Director of the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit, Cheryl Willoughby, stressed the importance of the initiatives. She agreed with Minister Lane that it was important that interventions conducted by NPP were data-driven.

“If they’re not, it means that you are putting resources where they are not needed,” Mrs. Willoughby surmised.

She disclosed that some of her staff would be going to Dodds Prison in January to interview young people who were on remand for murder.

She explained that they would be looking at the socio and economic backgrounds of these young people, among other things, and the information would be shared with the crime prevention officials, so the NPP’s programmes would continue to be relevant to its stakeholders.

The Director further disclosed that her Unit would be embarking on a National Victimisation Survey in the upcoming months.

“What is important about victimisation surveys is that these surveys unearth the hidden figures of crime…. Victimisation surveys…enable us to see the true extent of crime, because what we will do is compare official crime statistics with the data coming out of the victimisation survey,” Mrs. Willoughby indicated.

Those addressing the media briefing included CEO of Great Hope Foundation, Ward Trotman, and Tomar Haynes of Minors Club and the Extreme Games Platform. (PR/GIS)

Government

Barbados & Japan Explore Further Ways To Deepen Relations

Japan’s Ambassador to Barbados, Kayoko Fukushima, is satisfied that the relationship between her country and Barbados has been deepened as a result of several achievements during her tour of duty.

Ambassador Fukushima was paying a farewell call to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, at Ilaro Court, earlier today, and reflected on her accomplishments, which included helping the fisheries sector to rebuild after Hurricane Beryl.

The two officials also spoke at length about boosting tourism arrivals; Japan’s collaboration with CARICOM countries in strategic areas such as renewable energy; and support for the Bridgetown Initiative, among other areas of bilateral engagement.

“It is so sad to see you go, but I hope that you will always keep Barbados in your heart and that you will return on vacation when you have a chance so that you can rekindle many of the friendships that you have made while here. People speak very fondly of you and that is a good thing…,” Ms. Mottley said.

Ambassador Fukushima thanked Prime Minister Mottley for the kind sentiments and said she looked forward to spending more time with her family and enjoying her hobbies during retirement.

Barbados and Japan established diplomatic ties on August 29, 1967. (PR/GIS)