Spotlight Initiative Caribbean Regional Programme

Challenge

Every Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member state has dedicated domestic violence legislation and laws that advance child protection. Many have drafted national plans and strategies to address gender-based violence (GBV), in which ending family or domestic violence is prioritized. While these laws have improved some women’s access to justice, recent prevalence surveys suggest that a significant number of women experience intimate partner violence and that the majority of those do not report to police, or access services to protect and prevent the recurrence of violence. There are very few secondary psycho-educational prevention interventions for men who perpetrate family violence. Policy making and programming development is not sufficiently informed by research and a coordinated approach to administrative data across sectors does not exist in most countries.

Alongside and feeding into system inadequacies, a culture of gender inequality persists and, along with other bases of inequalities, contributes to high levels of GBV against women and girls. This culture and the associated inequalities impede quality, accessible, effective and non-discriminatory access to services. Gender norms that associate masculinity with power over and control of women are harmful as is the association of discipline of children with corporal punishment.  

However, with the sustained demand by women’s organizations, there is now  greater resolve to address GBV through systemic approaches. Key inter-governmental and regional institutions have prioritized ending GBV in the period coinciding with the Spotlight Initiative. These include CARICOM and its institutions, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, and the Caribbean Development Bank.