Caribbean gov’ts keen to end child violence

Caribbean Ministerial delegations gathered on Tuesday on the first day of a two-day meeting to address a frightening reality plaguing our islands.

Hosted by the United Nations’ Caribbean Offices, the Barbados Government, the British High Commission in Bridgetown and the United States Embassy for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, the sub-regional conference,  held at the Barbados Hilton Hotel, was focused on sexual violence against children.

From left: Professor Christine Barrow, Professor Emerita,
University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus; Dr. Adele Jones,
Professor of Childhood Studies, University of Huddersfield,
United Kingdom; and Ms. Jacqueline Sealy-Burke, Director
of the Grenada Legal Aid and Counselling Clinic, deliberating
on conference documents on the opening day of the UNiTE
Sub-regional conference ‘Combatting Sexual Violence
Against Children in the Caribbean’. 

Under the theme “Combating Sexual Violence against Children in the Caribbean: From Isolated Actions to Integrated Strategies”, Tuesday’s opening ceremony featured remarks from keynote speaker Bernt Aasen, UNICEF Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean; Barbados’ Minister of Family, Culture, youth and Sport, Stephen Lashley; UN Resident Co-ordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough and Dr. Morella Joseph, Representative of CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque.

The event, which was convened within the United Nations Secretary General’s UNiTE campaign to end violence against women, was attended by Government ministers with responsibility for child protection along with legal, policy reform and health experts in this area of concern.

From left: Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, UN Resident
Co-ordinator and Representative, UNDP Barbados and the OECS;
the Honourable Stephen Lashley, Barbados’ Minister of Family,
Culture, Sports and Youth; and Mr. Bernt Assen, Regional Director
UNICEF The Americas and Caribbean Regional Office, Panama – feature
speakers at the opening ceremony of the UNiTE Sub-regional conference –
Combating Sexual Violence Against Children in the Caribbean,
held in Barbados, November 20-21 2012.

Following the opening ceremony, several panel discussions, chaired by capable professionals with some incite into the issue, were conducted during the entire day, with the aid of real data coming out of the countries involved.

It is hoped that arising from the deliberations, is the emergence of a serious and focused network of states, followed by meaningful initiatives and the production of country-level action agendas embraced by the citizens of each country.

As such, the various speakers acknowledged that the problem must be tackled from several
angles, including that of appropriate legislation, enforcement protocols, supportive action and public service communication.

Also on the agenda was the Break the Silence Initiative, created by the Institute for Gender and Development Studies at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus in Trinidad and Tobago.

With their assistance, representatives from UNICEF were scheduled to roll out this campaign on Tuesday evening, to garner support from the wider Caribbean. The multi-pronged action approach will aim to reach victims and their families with a message to speak out, to denounce and break the stigma associated with this type of violence. It purports to also advocate by lobbying policy makers, health workers and law enforcers for apt protection and treatment services. (EL)