Sixteen (16) women who are survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) will receive grant awards with the support of the CARICOM Secretariat, the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) and the Spotlight Initiative.
The project, titled “Upskilling GBV Survivors with Economic Empowerment and Personal Development Skills as A Means of Ensuring That These Women Live Lives Free of Violence”, is funded by UNDP under the Regional Spotlight Initiative Caribbean Programme. The Regional Programme is part of the Global Spotlight Initiative, which is the European Union’s groundbreaking investment of Euros 500M to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
The Economic Empowerment Project is being implemented by the CARICOM Secretariat Gender and Development Programme in partnership with the National Gender Affairs Directorates of Dominica, Saint Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago.
According to Ms Ann-Marie Williams, Deputy Programme Manager, Gender and Development, CARICOM Secretariat, “the Secretariat embarked on the project to give survivors of GBV a second chance and a greater opportunity to improve their livelihood.”
She explained that the project includes a virtual capacity-building workshop for 35 women survivors. Of this number, 16 who are ready to become entrepreneurs will be awarded grants via a business incubator phase, which will support them with practical tools to become entrepreneurs, including developing a business plan, financial literacy and digital skills to improve their marketing when they open their new businesses.
The virtual training supports the socio-economic integration or reintegration of a cross-section of women survivors in three (3) Member States: Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago. “The training process is an empowerment strategy to help women strengthen their economic independence to make sustainable business decisions on their own and to set them on a path towards living lives free of violence,” stated Ms Williams.
The grant awards presentation forms part of the CARICOM Secretariat’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Campaign, observed from 25 November to 10 December 2023 under the theme: “Unite! Invest to End Violence Against Women and Girls!”
@ “If we knew better”.
You have a valid point.
A UK ground breaking study on Parental Alienation found that in the case of divorce and separation, a favourite device used by the mother to prevent the father having contact with the children, is making false allegations of abuse. In reality the abuse cited need be nothing more than the minor domestic spats that occur in every relationship. But given that the court invariable finds in favour of the mother, almost every mother in the land – if she was of a mind – could out of spite deprive the children of their father.
My book “For the Sake of the Children” highlights this injustice from a Caribbean perspective.
If I were to reference men abusing men, or women abusing women I would be told to not bring that to Dominica but keep that in America or some other foreign country. But all of all you hypocritical people know it does take place. Not recent, but there have been gay and lesbian people in DA for as long as we can remember. To make it clear, I am a Christian that does not approve of this that lifestyle, but realize that it existed as far back as in biblical times. God loves all his children, they should be protected, he however hates their sins as well as our sins.
Only women?
I bet is woman alone they checking for again. Woman does attack man much more than man hurting woman. Many times all we see is the man hit her. But noone cares about what brought him to doing that. Many women love to challenge men, get in their faces while spewing their vile words to emotionally and mentally hurt the man. all while testing his resolve. then when he snaps, he is the bad one. He is the one that should be able to control himself, he should be the bigger person. In the end, MEN AND WOMEN ARE NOT EQUAL. women need to always remember the possible consequences when provoking and abusing the men in their lives. And stop play victim when their actions and words are cause for their cut ars.
On the flip side, i encourage all men to refrain from physically harming women who do not deserve any abuse. talk it out fully and understand her before resorting to violence. no gender is perfect.
What constitutes Gender Based Violence (GBV)?