Women in Action group to lead walk on Mother’s Day

The group, Women in Action, is embarking on a major undertaking aimed at rescuing abused women and girls and wiping out “systemic” incidences of the scourge from the Barbadian society.

The group, comprising close to half dozen non-governmental organisations and individual women from all strata of society and the diaspora, joined forces on May Day and discussed how to assist in the elimination of abuse of the youth in Barbados.

Special focus will initially be on the girls at the state-run Government Industrial School, (GIS) some of whom have been alleging abuse, forcing the Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams to order a series of investigations into the operations of the juvenile reform facility for girls at Barrows, St Lucy and the one for boys at Dodds, St Philip.

The Women in Action will be launching their short-term plan on Mothers’ Day this Sunday with a  Silent Prayer Walk starting at 6 a.m. on Black Rock Main Road near its junction with Dodson Land and Griffith Land.

The procession will travel along Black Rock Main Road to its junction with Wavell Avenue and repeat the route until noon.

“Our medium-term effort will target the structural changes through legislation and institutional practices as well as pushing for accountability in crimes against minors,” the group stated in a press release.

“Our long-term plan is to, through advocacy and strategic action, usher in a juvenile correctional system that is humane and underpinned by the principles of child justice. Our network of organisations in the Third Sector have, and will continue to build their capacity to create programmes and deliver training to staff and care-givers of all government-run juvenile penal institutions and any other facility in need of it,” the advocacy and action group declared.

Women in Action is adamant that any work with the nation’s children aimed at correcting behavior, must honour their sense of dignity and self-worth.

“Mindful of the honourable intentions of this government, we anticipate that they will be willing to engage us and make use of the wealth of knowledge and experience that we are gathering in this umbrella body network of organisations,” the group stated.

The umbrella network organisation also called on the women of Barbados “who have been the backbone of this society since the 17th century” to stand up for the “transformation”.”

“We also need to have the support of the good men and the youth to let it be known that we expect better of our government for all our people.

“Our success depends on the public of Barbados to prevent a situation that is still unfolding from ever occurring again where minors without a voice have nowhere to run, no one to talk to and feel that the only way out of an abusive situation is suicide. Though we cannot put ourselves in their shoes, we can become their voice across this nation and beyond,” the Women in Action contended.

“To the girls of GIS, we want you to know that we have not forgotten you. Our Prayer is that you are the last group of girls on this island that experience these atrocities at the hands of the State.”

Women in Action has pledged to continue to network and collaborate on several initiatives that support the safety and holistic wellbeing of the wards of the State who are housed at the Government Industrial School.   

“Preliminary initiatives are scheduled to occur in this month of May (designated as Child’s Month) and various short to long-term strategies will be implemented until the current structures that enable the aforementioned abuse are dismantled.”

“The problem of systemic abuse in Barbados started during slavery and still exists today in the form of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse, that impact generations of families. On one side of the coin, abuse occurs in the home that is often perpetrated by a relative on women, young girls, and young boys,” Women in Action pointed out.

“On the other side of the coin, abuse is inflicted on minors, who are wards of the State in government-run institutions.  The situation at GIS and Dodds has sparked outrage from as far back as 42 years and because no fundamental changes have been made to this penal system for juveniles, the outrage continues today, in 2022.”

The group comprises representatives from the Global Network for Cultural Development, Praise Academy for Dance, Orgasmik Intelligence, Politically In-correct, Operation Safe Space, Spiritually Aware Group, We the Forgotten Women, Barbados Youth Action Programme, Full Moon Goddess Circle, Sulam Construction & Property Management Services and Omololu The Children’s Foundation and individual women. (EJ/PR)