Dominica examines gender-based violence and HIV

violence against womenDominica is currently examining the relationship between Gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS.

The Peace Corps, with funding from the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), conducted a two-day workshop on Gender-based Violence and HIV/AIDS here.

Dominica has been selected as the host country of the workshop which ended on Thursday and was hosted by the Peace Corps of the Eastern Caribbean.

Minister for Gender Affairs Gloria Shillingford told the start of the workshop that the issue must be addressed nationally and at all levels.

“The connection between gender based violence and HIV has taken on great significance in recent years. Data from the World Health Organization indicates that violence increases the risk of HIV and other infections by 50 percent,” she explained.

According to Shillingford, important in every country is a nation response to HIV/AIDS which will include policies and legislation to protect vulnerable groups from violence.

“In Dominica the tendency is to associate gender violence with women. Let me point out that anyone, woman, man, boy or girl can face violence and so policies should be designed for the protection of all,” she explained.

However, in light of prevailing statistics on gender-based violence, a case has to be made specifically for women and girls, she noted.

The workshop was held under the theme “Changing Youth Norms on Violence”.

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8 Comments

  1. Justice and Truth
    October 6, 2013

    Dominica always appears to be chosen for these projects and/or pilot ones. Why? Is it worst than other countries? Or since D/ca has not yet legalized this so-called same sex recognition and marriage it is willfully chosen for obvious reasons. That is what they up to. Sensible people could read between the lines of their hidden and hypocritical schemes.
    I knew this gender-based would entail more than “women” and would lead to including “men” which also means homosexuals and lesbians.
    Children are to be protected. Their parents should be educated accordingly especially where there is abuse and violence in the home.
    Adults are responsible for themselves. They do not need babysitters as an interest group or the government to protect them. As adults they should know how to conduct themselves and whom to associate with.
    In addition, if through their experience those whom they associate with project the tendency of abuse and violence, they have the alternative to sever the relationship. Adults are old enough to protect themselves.
    Do not allow the parent group to dictate to you and force you to establish their practices as is done in bigger countries. Sadly and disappointingly, morality has gone down the drain in those countries. Pay heed! God is taking note.

    • November 7, 2013

      Special interst groups with sexual deviations that claim they are discriminated against will use any excuse to promote their own interests.

      They start organizations “to help marginalized minorities that are the victims of neglect, abuse, or violence.” Because this is a cause most of us are sympathetic to they quickly gain support. Then it becomes apparent that they include themselves and are using most of the support to lobby for their own “equality”.

      This is why we have groups that claim to be fighting hate and discrimination equally across the board that are mainly dedicated to seeking “equality” for homosexuals and lesbians, bisexuals, and transexuals, including “marriage” and adoption rights!

      In some countries these same people have been known to launch a campaign to have the age of consent abolished and have pedophilia declared an “orientation” so it cannot be discrminated against. If the good people of the Caribbean find this difficult to believe they shouild know there was actually a registered political party in Holland dedicated to abolishing the age of consent and decrimination agaist pedophilia. It should be no surprise that it was spported by the gays. The party as such has been terminated but the cause is not dead and is finding expression in other organizations in that country.

      Children and the elderly should be protected against abuse. The disabled should be shown every kindness and accomodated. Racial and religious minorities should not be discriminated against.

      But when people break the law of their country or
      violate God’s moral laws in the Bible they themselves are creating circumstances that make it impossible for others to relate to or interact with them in the usual way. This is not discrimination. If you owned a grocery store there are people you would not leave to look after the cash. If you were a parent there are people you would not let babysit your children.

      Years ago somebody told the famous Evangelist D. L. Moody, “Mr. Moody, you are brushing the cats the wrong way.” Moody replied, “Let the cats turn around.”

      More recently, the pastor of one of the largest Protestant churches on the island of Jamaica told me, “If people tell me they are being stepped on I tell them to get up.”

      This would solve most of their “discrimination” problems.

      Sincerely, Rev. Donald Hill. Pentecostal Evangelst.

  2. October 5, 2013

    dat pict doesn’t suggest violence to me… it suggests something else

  3. Ras Mo
    October 4, 2013

    Domestic & dating violence are major problems in Dominica we need more activities like this along with prevention education in high schools & communities.

  4. Anonymous
    October 4, 2013

    well well well what is the country come too but hay we as dominicans we deal wth our own problem an pick up an start back up for the better of us meme.so bcareful an god only knows wat the next move on the cheeset board :-?

  5. Brain
    October 4, 2013

    More needs to be done by the goverment especially when it comes to violence against women,my mom was hit on her head and back with a pot for wetting her own porch she called the police they refuse to arrest her husband instead they told her she was the instigator,it took a call to the police chief to get him arrested.To add insult to injury magestrate pacquette gave him a one year suspended sentence he went back to the village boasting that he win his case.Am my mom’s son how do u think I felt? Angry.

    • Really!
      October 5, 2013

      Brian, there is more to that story! Come on. I understand its your Mom and its not a good feeling but your mother really troublesome eh! You know the story is not just because she wet her porch the man just hit her.

    • Time will Tell
      October 6, 2013

      This is the sort of behaviour that makes one cook a pot of oil when man like him go to sleep. Then they want violence to decline..

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