Statement by the Alliance for State Action to End Gender-based Violence (ASA) on concerted action for gender equality and ending gender-based violence
THE ASA congratulates the United National Congress-led Coalition of Interests on its assumption of office.
We understand that the Department of Gender and Child Affairs will be a part of the Ministry of the People and Social Development, and we welcome the focus on children given their specific developmental and protection needs. In addition, ASA is calling for specialised and well-staffed and resourced machinery with the authority to advance gender equality.
Some may ask why the need for this specialised attention and what is the relevance to issues such as poverty, corruption, unemployment, the underperforming economy, crime and violence, and inadequate public services.
Much of how we live is shaped by societal ideas, beliefs, expectations and practices about masculinity and femininity. These impact every facet of life including the economy, family, health, security, leadership, and cultural and social practices. Gender inequality/discrimination, and the harm that restrictive gender stereotypes continue to pose to everyone, is a global reality which we ignore to our collective detriment.
Women’s leadership, whether in the state or in non-governmental organisations, has brought progress in reducing some aspects of discrimination. We recall that it was during the previous administration led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the Medal for the Development of Women was instituted to mark the contributions of those working for women’s rights and empowerment. During that administration, we also note that a ministry of gender, youth and child development was established.
But the work is far from complete. Notwithstanding decades of national income from the petroleum sector, it is hard to deny that income inequality constrains the lives of many. While poverty affects a cross-section of people, it affects women in unequal and far-reaching ways because they are the ones who carry the burden of care for children, the sick and the elderly.
Whether as caregivers, homemakers, or domestic workers, women’s labours are often taken for granted, under-valued and not yet equitably shared. Many women doing this work are not included in social protection schemes. Even with educational achievements, women earn less on average than men and have lower labour-force participation rates.
All women and girls feel the threat of particular forms of violence, whether in their homes, the workplace, or the streets. Just last week we received the heart-breaking and enraging news of a 65-year-old woman kidnapped and raped twice. A few weeks ago we learned of the 15-year-old girl who was raped and murdered, after leaving her home and being reported missing.
Many girl children are victims of sexual assault. This week we read of a woman killed by a former partner in the presence of her eight-year-old child, despite a protection order and past reports of severe violence to the police. Gender-based violence continues to be a deeply devastating and ongoing crisis that requires greater resources, state action, and an integrated holistic approach to prevention.
While we acknowledge and celebrate, for the first time in TT, that the three national leaders are women, women’s expertise and competence continue to be sidelined in senior decision-making, whether in Parliament or the corporate sector. Representation matters, as does transformational leadership.
The focus on gender relations in governance is also important for men and boys. We see too many boys leave the school system without certification or life skills for constructive citizenship.
The fact that most people engaged in violent crime are low-income boys and men is not coincidental. These are not simply individual failings; they are symptoms of deeper systemic issues related to the power and pressures associated with masculinity and poverty.
Apart from the law-and-order response, we need a social development approach informed by root causes, including how boys are raised and socialised in families, in schools and in their communities.
Public policy is improved by considering how gender stereotypes shape access to, or lack of, opportunities, goods, services, jobs, and security. Gender policy is not only about children and family, but about an integrated approach across ministries to achieve well-being and development for all.
Through advocacy for the National Gender Policy, successive generations of gender equality activists have called attention to gender and social inequalities. We have reiterated that to end gender-based violence, we need effective policing and effective social programming for prevention.
The research also tells us that taking care of women will contribute to addressing the problem of young men in social and economic crises. We reiterate our commitment to community-based solutions and long-term interventions at the local government level that build trust and reduce divisions.
Women’s organisations are not adversaries of the state. Rather, we seek to respond to women’s problems, whether in delivering services to low-income women; providing support for single parents; ensuring safe refuge for those experiencing domestic violence; preventing child sexual abuse; transforming masculinities, and advocating, as we are now, for inclusive policies and programming which are developed in genuine consultation, including with civil society organisations, that benefits all citizens.
A strong mechanism, along the lines of the previous ministry of gender, youth and child development, which centres gender equality as a critical outcome of state action can address family poverty, child protection and gender-based violence. With the relevant expertise and authority, it can also facilitate effective co-ordination between all ministries and agencies to ensure inclusive, sustainable and equitable development.
The alliance believes that with the right support, partnerships, and safeguarding mechanisms in place, TT can become a safe space where all citizens can thrive in dignity and peace. We look forward to collaborating with the government and the opposition to advance gender equality and social justice.
The Alliance for State Action to End Gender-based Violence is a non-partisan network of gender justice organisations which promotes, supports, and monitors state programmes that address violence and inequalities.
The supporting organisations are:
CAISO Sex and Justice
Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action – TT
CEDAW Committee of TT
Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Conflict Women
Feminitt
The Shelter for Battered Women and Children
Women’s Institute for Alternative Development
WOMANTRA
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