Saint Vincent and the Grenadines National Taskforce on Gender-Based Violence Launched

L-R: Merissa Finch-Burke, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Mobilisation – Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tonni Brodber, Representative, UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean, Loveness Nyakujarah, Programme Coordinator – Build Back Equal Project, and Philcol Jeffers, UNFPA Build Back Equal Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
 

Kingstown, Saint Vincent (December 12, 2024): With the clock ticking towards 2030 - the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals, including the eradication of VAWG, and the upcoming 30th year of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, this #16DaysofActivism, countries are being urged to implement comprehensive strategies for addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV) including, in partnership with women’s rights organisations.

St. Vincent and Grenadines with the support of the Global Affairs Canada-funded Build Back Equal Project has established the first national inter-agency GBV task force to drive coordination of essential service providers and key stakeholders for GBV data analysis and GBV case management in a systematic and collaborative manner. 

The task force will also guide national GBV prevention efforts and foster better coordination of both state and non-state actors.  It is envisaged that this will help reduce impunity, increase access to justice and ensure adequate, shock responsive and integrated quality health and social protection services for GBV survivors and victims.

Merissa Finch-Burke, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of National Mobilisation said that underreporting of GBV is a concern because there are a variety of reasons why people will choose not to report or never to engage. She stressed that constant stakeholder engagement, going to where people were, was necessary to capture and share information.

“Under reporting sometimes is more popular in certain communities than others. So that is why it became critical to do opinion polls per community. There are some persons that may say in a community that, that is their business and not our business. How do we then engage the community in doing any form of programme or intervention going forward when they do not want to?  Resources have limitations. So how do we then use the resources wisely, but still reach all? So these are critical elements to consider.”

“If we have to advocate to ensure that gender-based violence is reduced in our environment, who do we speak to?  We cannot just speak to our women. We have to be prepared to engage our men. The ministry embarked on our male enhancement and development programme. How do we push our males to have the ambition for maintaining healthy family lives and social lives and to be good role models to our young demographic.”

Tonni Brodber, Representative, UN Women Multi-Country Office – Caribbean said under reporting occurs too because of the kinds of crimes being spotlighted.

“This milestone - this GBV Task Force Launch - is demonstrative, not only of the commitments of Gender Affairs, the broader Ministry of National Mobilisation and the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to improving the response and management of gender-based violence cases; it is also a strategic response. This initiative will change the way people trust the system of reporting in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Covid was the beginning for many of us to demonstrate that we need coordination. If we continue to work in silos, we are not going to be effective in managing a public health situation which many people do refer to it as, when we speak about violence against women and girls”, Ms. Brodber added.

The task force includes representatives from various sectors, including health, social services, policing, justice, education, civil society, and organisations monitoring and evaluating the national GBV response; advocating for vulnerable groups; and seamlessly coordinating efficient service provision for prevention and response according to the country’s Gender-Based Violence Referral Pathway.

Global Affairs Canada is funding the BBE Project and UN Women MCO Caribbean is leading the implementation with UNFPA Caribbean office. The Project focuses on ensuring women and youth-owned businesses have access to affordable and adequate financing, fit for purpose social protection programmes that ensure no is left behind, sexual and reproductive health services that are more effective and that survivors of gender-based violence can have easier access to the services they need.