Still a priority – UN Women regional head concerned about violence

The head of one of the United Nations’ agencies is concerned about the length of time it takes for cases of gender-based violence, including sexual assault of children, to be heard in the court system.

Christine Arab, who recently took up the post as Representative of UN Women Multi-Country Office of the Caribbean, made the comments during a wide-ranging exclusive interview with The Grenada Advocate recently.

She noted that across the Caribbean, efforts have to be made to expedite these cases in order to bring about a measure of closure for the victims.

Christine Arab, Representative of UN
Women Multi-Country Office of the
Caribbean, speaking to The Grenada Advocate.

Despite regional policymakers viewing cases of this nature as a serious problem that needs to be given priority, these delays are occurring because the system in general is overwhelmed. But all is not lost, Arab said, as the judiciary is cognisant of the problem, and want to see it addressed.

The UN Women Head, who has worked with Arab, Asia and Pacific countries, said that while she is used to convincing judges that it is an issue, those she has had contact with in the Caribbean are asking for help to tackle it.

She contended that this level of awareness within the law courts is of benefit to the region.

“I think what is increasingly becoming more apparent in the Caribbean – and I have been to three different countries now, policymakers mentioned this, including in Barbados – is the importance of family courts. When you have conflict in the family, be it violent of otherwise, [the question is] how do you deal with it, because it is dealt with differently than a drive-by shooting in a downtown city centre somewhere,” she said.

Arab added, “They have to be dealt with carefully. You have to deal with children carefully; you can’t have them sit in court in front a judge. People that have been sexually abused or violently abused by their loved ones, it is very painful for them to sit in an open court and discuss that. There have to be different methodologies and it can’t take five years.”

Change mindset

Honing in on violence against women, Arab maintained that the mindset relative to this issue has to change, from the average citizens to the leaders. Her comments came as she pointed out that surveys conducted in many countries with women and girls about the definition of violence, have meted out different descriptions.

“As I have said many times in the past – if you get a slap; if you’re scared of getting a slap; if your husband belittles you, screams at you, yells at you; or if you do those things to your partner…that’s violence.

“You don’t have to be the person who’s got bruises all running down the side and can barely walk – that is an extreme form of violence. But it is all violence, and that is a very hard thing to internalise,” she noted.

With that in mind, she reiterated that the perception change also needs to come from the actions of leaders, who will openly state that such acts of violence are wrong and punishable by law.

“I think Barbados is lucky that it does have the leaders and government that are willing to state that these acts of violence are wrong and that, yes, we are going to progressively try to improve the way the court deals with it [and] improve the way the legislation deals with violence in the home,” she said.

The UN Women official said that her office worked very closely with Barbados in revising the Domestic Violence (Protection Orders) Act, and was pleased to be informed by Social Care Minister, Steven Blackett, that the matter is to be discussed at the level of the Cabinet soon.