16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence
Fayola KJ Fraser
Launched in 2008 by the United Nations, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence (GBV) campaign was birthed to raise awareness and call on governments, civil society, women’s organisations, and the private sector to make real strides against the pervasive societal ill of GBV.
The global theme of this year’s 16 Days (from November 25 to December 10) is “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls,” a specific and direct call to urge investments in solutions. According to UN statistics, internationally, more than five women or girls are killed every hour by someone in their family, nearly one in five women aged 20-24 were married before the age of 18, and one in three women have been subjected to violence at least once in their lifetime. These statistics are jarring, mirroring the need for urgency in action on GBV.
In the Caribbean, a variety of inherited patriarchal norms alongside accepted cultural behaviours make GBV more pressing than ever. In 2019, according to the Atlantic Council, five of the top 20 countries’ recorded rape rates were Caribbean nations.
Moreover, research from UN Women suggests that 46 per cent of women in the Caribbean have experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime. In 2021, the Minister of Social Development and Family Services, Donna Cox, stated that in T&T in 2020, there were 556 reported cases of domestic violence, with the number increasing to 826 in 2021.
Cox also stated that “one case of violence against a woman is too many … We must assert that violence against any woman is violence against all of society.”
One of the subject-matter experts and feminists leading the charge against GBV is a Caribbean woman, Paige Andrew. She is the chief of programs at FRIDA–The Young Feminist Fund, focusing on Grantmaking and Operations, and is the focal point for groups in the Caribbean Region.
For almost a decade, she has been involved in feminist-centered activism. Her work is oriented around human rights activism in Jamaica, with a focus on vulnerable populations, such as LGBTQIA people, and sexual and reproductive health and rights of women. She is the co-founder of a women’s rights organisation called WE-Change Jamaica, which has, for the past six years, worked on various projects related to education around GBV.
Andrew is an accomplished academic and a Fulbright Scholar, with a BA in Integrated Marketing Communications from UWI, Mona and an MA in Communications and Development from Ohio University.
In her expertise and experience in the exploration of GBV, she notes the importance of understanding that GBV does not take one shape or size and can range from sexual harassment (verbal or physical), emotional abuse and stalking, to sexual and physical violence. Centralising the reality of the patriarchal nature of most Caribbean countries, she explains that “GBV is rooted in power, rather than gender.” This means that the power harnessed by men more than women in our region allows GBV to be mostly perpetrated against women. She also notes that GBV is not solely relegated to heterosexual relationships, and in many instances, trans women and people in same-sex relationships also can be subject to it.
Specific to the local context, Andrew’s research has led her to dive deeper into the nature of GBV in T&T. “Many people do not understand GBV to be violence,” she says, “and (as a society) we are not encouraged to speak up about violence–especially when perpetrated in private spaces.” In her interviews and discussions with vulnerable women, the desensitisation of violence in our country is a major cause of the problem.
For example, giving little, powerless children ‘licks’ as a form of discipline is so ingrained in our societal fabric, it teaches children that they can and should be beaten, and not speak up about it. In other cases, if co-workers, friends, family or community members are aware that a man is beating his wife, they often turn a blind eye, saying “that is man and woman business.” Andrew further states that in instances of stalking and sexual harassment, the situation is often laughed off or not seen as violence. “Instead, you hear that boys will be boys, which later on translates to some sort of acceptance that men will be violent.” The convergence of these multiple realities creates a polarising and problematic operational environment for women, where we have to not only be afraid for our lives, but similarly afraid of being unheard and unseen if and when we speak up about it.
Fortunately, Andrew’s work and research is not only focused on uncovering the problem but advocating for, and advancing, solutions. A change in primary education and socialisation is key in the resolution of GBV, as removing and rethinking strict gender norms that are taught at an early age and embedded into our culture are an unseen harm.
For example, young men and boys “sooting”, “whistling” or harassing girls in public spaces is seen as a woman’s cross to bear but is, in fact, a gross reflection of untrained men repeating cycles of bad behaviour. She also insists on the importance of liberating ourselves from the perception that discussing sexual health is taboo. Educating young people about sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as GBV, is imperative, so they can quickly and easily identify unacceptable behaviours and confidently speak up about them. Having safe spaces for survivors’ healing and reintegration is also a key solution, along with the education of prevention and support workers.
Police officers, healthcare workers and other actors in public-facing institutions should know how to identify a victim and support them in getting the necessary help. Finally, she suggests that perpetrators should be included in the conversation, as without support in the form of education or counselling, they will continue to perpetrate GBV.
The fight to end the scourge of GBV requires an all-of-society approach. At the governmental level, Caribbean countries should ensure the development and implementation of protective laws for survivors and equitable and accessible safe spaces for their protection and healing. There is also a need for partnership with grassroots organisations and NGOs on the ground, to ensure that laws and policies are created with the contextual realities at the core.
At the grassroots level, communities should come together to form support groups for survivors and organise education and awareness campaigns for vulnerable groups who may not be highly prioritised. In T&T and the wider Caribbean, many diplomatic foreign missions, international organisations and corporate entities have taken the lead to partner with NGOs and dedicate resources to work surrounding GBV. We need more of this sustained effort.
Paige Andrew is a scholar, feminist, and actor in the space of human rights & GBV issues, who calls us as a society and a region to action. These 16 Days of Activism against GBV are an opportunity to not only advocate for an end to violence against women and girls but to also honour the lives of people lost to GBV. Beyond this period, the hope is that GBV will not be forgotten, relegated to the sidelines of organisational agendas until next November, but remain top of mind. It is a crisis requiring us to “name it for what it is, take small actions to curb its occurrence, teach children around us to do better, and hold those in power accountable to ensuring protection and wellness for all women.”
