Monday, March 11, 2013
A number of high-level gender advocates and policymakers are among those
who have already been confirmed for the inaugural Caribbean Conference
on Domestic Violence and Gender Equality which will be taking place in
Trinidad and Tobago in a few weeks.
The conference is expected to bring together professionals who deal with
domestic violence issues, as well as individuals in health care and
other social services to have dialogue on critical issues that relate to
violence against women and girls. The event is also expected to advance
gender equality and empowerment of women which could possibly lead to
positive outcomes for everyone -- including men and boys.
The conference is scheduled to take place from March 25 to 27 and is
being organised by the Global Centre for Behavioural Health. Among the
speakers will be Almas Jiwani, president of UN Women Canada.
Deputy director general of Jamaica Red Cross and member of the planning
committee for the conference, Lois Hue, said that a number of Jamaican
women's advocates have been invited to the event.
"The Caribbean persons have been concerned for some time about the
decline in the treatment of women, and the fact that violence against
women and particularly girls have been escalating," she explained.
She said the Red Cross has always strived to introduce elements that
deal with gender sensitivity and the treatment of girls in their
programmes.
"We thought that it was time for us to now do something that focuses
specifically on domestic violence and crime against women," she said.
The Global Centre for Behavioural Health feels gender-based violence is
one of the most ignored crimes in the region and continues to be one of
the most pervasive human rights violations.
"According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, every one
of the Caribbean islands has a sexual violence rate that is higher than
the world average," said president of the organisation and conference
chair Dr Donna Baird.
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