CDB and UN Women partner to support data collection on Gender based Violence in the Caribbean

July 27, 2017, BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and UN Women have signed an agreement to support a common approach to measuring Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Caribbean. Although GBV, in particular violence against women and girls, affects much of the Region, many countries do not generate or have access to comprehensive data on the frequency, nature and response to this issue.

The agreement was signed today at CDB’s headquarters in Barbados. It makes provisions for both agencies to work together to close the data gap, ensuring regional policy measures are put in place to address the problem more effectively.

“This agreement aims to support the CARICOM Secretariat in building regional knowledge transfer and sustainability in systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of comparable prevalence data on GBV in the Caribbean. This intervention is part of a broader project in which CDB and UN Women will cooperate in the production of data on gender-based violence in the Region and the building of regional capacities in this regard,” said Monica La Bennett, Acting Vice-President (Operations) at CDB, who signed on behalf of the Bank.

Ms. M. Alison McLean, Representative, UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean said: “Within UN Women’s broader support to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) implementation there is significant focus on supporting enhanced data gathering and disaggregation. As CARICOM Governments work towards realising their implementation priorities for Agenda 2030 and the (SDGs), such data is invaluable.

We therefore laud this new area of partnership between UN Women MCO Caribbean and the Caribbean Development Bank towards closing the data gap, and in particular supporting direct work to improve human security and the safety and security and women and girls in both the domestic and public spheres, towards ensuring every woman and girl can live a life free of violence.”

 

 

CDB and UN Women will work in tandem to support the deepening of the CARICOM region’s expertise in data collection and analysis on GBV, through the implementation and formal adoption of the CARICOM Model. The CARICOM survey model collects data on the frequency of GBV against women, and also highlights the consequences for women, their children and families, and risk and protective factors for violence. This information can directly inform service provision and prevention strategies.

The signing was the first step in operationalising a cooperation agreement signed recently between both partners, which sees the agencies partnering to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Caribbean.

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About the Caribbean Development Bank

The Caribbean Development Bank is a regional financial institution established in 1970 for the purpose of contributing to the harmonious economic growth and development of its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). In addition to the 19 BMCs, CDB’s membership includes four regional non-borrowing members – Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Venezuela and five non-regional, non-borrowing members; i.e., Canada, China, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom. CDB’s total assets as at December 31, 2016 are USD2.89 billion (bn). These include USD1.59bn of Ordinary Capital Resources and USD1.29bn of Special Funds. The Bank is rated Aa1 Stable with Moody’s and AA+ Stable with Standard and Poor’s and Fitch. Read more at caribank.org.

About UN Women

UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress on meeting their needs worldwide.