Activities to Mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women

The Bureau of Gender Affairs (BGA) will be hosting a series of activities to commemorate International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (IDEVAW), which is being observed today (November 24).

A church service will be held on Sunday, November 27 at the Fellowship Tabernacle, 2 Fairfield Avenue, Kingston 20, beginning at 10:30 a.m. to commemorate IDEVAW. The service will be held under the theme ‘Gender Based Violence is Everybody’s Business: End GBV’.

IDEVAW and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence (GBV) is observed from November 25 to December 10 annually. This observance includes World AIDS Day on December 1, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, and International Human Rights Day, December 10.

The observance of IDEVAW creates awareness on all forms of violence against women and girls and the impact on the country’s development,

On Friday, November 25, community and uniformed groups, gender focal points and victims and survivors of GBV will attend a banner event at the Spanish Court Hotel, St. Lucia Avenue, New Kingston, beginning at 10:00 a.m., where Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, is scheduled to bring greetings.

The event will be held under the theme ‘Breaking Barriers: Gender-Based Violence is Everybody’s Business: End GBV’.

The BGA, an agency of the Culture Ministry, states in a brief that the main objective of the event is to increase public awareness on the signs, symptoms, causes, treatment and services available to treat with GBV.

Another objective is to increase awareness on the legislative framework to protect survivors of GBV, namely the Domestic Violence Act and the Occupation and Protection Order.

Discussions will also focus on the operations of the government-owned and operated national shelters for survivors of GBV and the National Shelter strategy and Guidelines of GBV shelters.