The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and the World Food Programme (WFP) will be implementing the US $1.1 million joint programme “Modernization of the Social Protection Systems in Jamaica: Towards an Adaptive, Shock Responsive, Inclusive System”.

What are the laws that exist across the Caribbean that condone and foster gender-based violence (GBV)? Though most Caribbean countries have existing laws on domestic and sexual violence, there is a restrictive understanding and definition of GBV that facilitate inequitable gender norms.

On her inaugural mission to the Caribbean, UN Women Regional Director for the Americas and Caribbean Maria Noel Vaeza, accompanied by the Representative - UN Women Multi-Country Office–Caribbean, Tonni Brodber, met with Governments and development partners in Jamaica, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. The Caribbean mission was focused on sharing on UN Women’s new 4-year strategic plan, particularly strategies towards building forward from COVID-19 in a gender-responsive way.

In celebration of World Cities Day, UN Women and the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), Jamaica have joined together to make cities and public spaces in Jamaica safer and more resilient. Through a virtual signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which took place on Friday 30 October, both entities have agreed to partner on several initiatives over the next two years that would contribute to an end to sexual harassment and violence in public spaces and promote equitable social, economic and political empowerment.