Police, Justice, Health, Social Service and Education Officers Bolster Coordinated Response to Gender-Based Violence through Standard Operating Procedures Training
Date:
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Castries, Saint Lucia, 08 July 2026 — Forty (40) representatives from the justice, policing, health, social services and education sectors in concert with the Division of Gender Affairs and civil society organizations concluded a two-day national training aimed at strengthening Saint Lucia's coordinated response to gender-based violence (GBV) through the implementation of newly developed Multi-Sector Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The training, delivered under the Build Back Equal Project, brought together frontline responders, policymakers and service providers to enhance collaboration, clarify institutional roles and responsibilities, and strengthen survivor-centred case management and referral systems. The Project is implemented by UN Women in close partnership with the Government of Saint Lucia and with UNFPA, with funding in part from Global Affairs Canada.
The workshop comes as Saint Lucia continues efforts to strengthen national systems for preventing and responding to gender-based violence. While important progress has been made through legislative reforms and ongoing investments in integrated service delivery, recent GBV incidents have highlighted the ongoing need for timely, coordinated, gender-responsive and survivor-centred interventions.
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Throughout the two-day programme, participants examined the draft Standard Operating Procedures and explored practical scenarios for their implementation. The SOPs establish common standards for responding to GBV cases by clearly defining agency responsibilities, strengthening referral mechanisms, improving case management, safeguarding confidentiality and reducing gaps in service delivery.
A major focus of the training was the collaborative review and refinement of Saint Lucia's GBV Referral Pathway - referral pathways guide GBV survivors to all the points they can get help. Participants identified practical measures to improve access to services with the goal of ensuring that survivors receive timely and appropriate support regardless of the first institution they contact.
The training reinforced the importance of survivor choice, informed consent, confidentiality, dignity and accountability as guiding principles for all agencies involved in prevention and response.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Sacha Harris, UN Women Build Back Equal Project Coordination Analyst, emphasized that survivors’ recovery goes beyond immediate crisis intervention. Referral pathways must also link survivors to social protection services that put them on a path to economic independence to meeting their own and their families’ needs.
“Responses must connect survivors not only to police, justice and health services, but also to emergency financial assistance, safe accommodation, psychosocial support, childcare, livelihood opportunities and other programmes that promote long-term safety and resilience”, Ms. Harris explained.
Ms. Janey Joseph, Director of the Division of Gender Affairs said the GBV response cannot solely depend on the capacity of individual institutions, but rather on the strength of collaboration across the entire national response system.
“Survivors of gender-based violence, do require multiple services from several agencies and sectors, therefore this multi-agency collaboration and coordination are essential elements of an effective GBV response”, Ms. Joseph stressed.
Overall, the workshop provided a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to share experiences, discuss operational challenges and offer recommendations to ensure that the Standard Operating are practical, responsive and aligned with the realities of service delivery in Saint Lucia.
The training forms part of broader efforts under the Build Back Equal Project to strengthen gender-responsiveness of institutions, improve access to essential services and social protection, and advance gender equality across Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean.
UN Women reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Government of Saint Lucia and national stakeholders, to finalise and implement the SOPs towards a more integrated, coordinated and survivor-centred response to gender-based violence.
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About the Build Back Equal Project
The Build Back Equal Project is a regional initiative implemented by UN Women in partnership with UNFPA and funded in part by Global Affairs Canada. The project supports Caribbean countries in advancing gender equality through strengthened gender-responsive social protection systems, women's economic empowerment and enhanced prevention and response mechanisms for gender-based violence.