We must redouble our efforts, says UN

Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, UN Resident Co-ordinator for Barbados and the OECS, says we must all play our part in redoubling our efforts to end violence against women and children by finding solutions.

After mentioning the UNiTE Campaign, launched by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in 2008, to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls in all parts of the world by 2015, she reminded her audience that with only three more years to this deadline, a big push is required now to target actions where it matters most.

“The campaign calls on governments, civil society, women’s organisations, young people, the private sector, the media and the entire UN system to join forces in addressing the global pandemic of violence against women and girls,” she commented at a recent regional conference.

The goals include appropriate legislation to aid prevention and implement punishment; multi-sectoral national action plans; data collection on the prevalence of such violence; increase public awareness and social mobilisation and address sexual violence in conflict.

She also highlighted the fact that girls are most affected by sexual abuse – twice that of boys, with a figure of well over 150 million world-wide.

“Whereas the trend at the time saw young boys facing greater physical violence, girls were more likely to have suffered sexual abuse by the time they were 15, more likely to have been exposed to sexual and gender-based violence at school by male teachers and classmates, and to have been forced into human trafficking,” she shared.

She then revealed the findings of a regional assessment of violence against children in the Caribbean region, which pointed to “the cultural and socially entrenched attitudes of entitlement to young girls’ bodies associated with care responsibilities”.

This disturbing trend shows that there is a long way to go in reversing these occurrences.

“There still remains much work to be done in creating legislation to address sexual abuse issues, including child trafficking; strengthening institutional capacity; and enforcement to support current legislation,” she stated, adding that meaning must be given to the three pillars of UNiTE in Latin America and the Caribbean – “no more impunity, no more victims and it is everyone’s responsibility”. (EL)