In­dar­jit Seu­raj

For­mal leg­is­la­tion to guar­an­tee the rights and pro­tec­tion of women against sex­u­al abuse and do­mes­tic vi­o­lence is com­ing. Min­is­ter of State in the Min­istry of Gen­der, Youth and Child De­vel­op­ment, Ra­mona Ram­di­al, made the an­nounce­ment yes­ter­day as she ad­dressed the launch of the fifth Young Woman of the Year Award 2012.

Ram­di­al said the Gov­ern­ment was in the process of draft­ing leg­is­la­tion to pro­tect the rights of women. "Our bat­tered women, those af­fect­ed by do­mes­tic vi­o­lence will have a piece of law that will pro­tect the rights of these women which would be sim­i­lar to the Chil­dren Bill, which is pro­tect­ing the rights of the in­di­vid­ual," she said.

Ram­di­al said Prime Min­is­ter Kam­la Per­sad-Bisses­sar had been cham­pi­oning rights and pro­tec­tion of women against do­mes­tic vi­o­lence. Ram­di­al said the min­istry would work to­geth­er with the Of­fice of the At­tor­ney Gen­er­al to draft the Women Rights Bill.

The Cou­va North MP said: "Trinidad and To­ba­go is one of the bet­ter places for women to grow up, de­vel­op and live in." How­ev­er, she lament­ed the in­creas­ing rate of abuse of chil­dren, and young girls drop­ping out of school be­cause of preg­nan­cy. She said the min­istry would con­struct 13 homes for bat­tered women and chil­dren to of­fer refuge to vic­tims of do­mes­tic abuse. "There is a need for it...Some of our homes are filled to ca­pac­i­ty," she said.