In a bold initiative to combat misinformation and foster informed decision-making in the Eastern Caribbean, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Tuesday launched a workshop designed to equip young people with the critical skills needed to navigate and leverage data effectively.
De-Jane Gibbons, UNFPA liaison officer for Barbados and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), emphasised the crucial role of data in shaping effective social policy in today’s society during the launch of the Data in Action: Youth Data Literacy as a Tool for Change workshop. The event was hosted by the UNFPA in collaboration with the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) at UN House.
In her speech to the young attendees, Gibbons said: “We all understand that we live in a world driven by data and by information. It’s all around us in everything we do. From tracking climate change to addressing community needs, data enables us to understand challenges and more importantly, to create meaningful solutions. This workshop is more than speaking about numbers and spreadsheets; it’s about telling stories, making informed decisions, and amplifying your voice… it’s about turning insights into action, and action into impact on the communities that we serve.
“We want to emphasise the role of data in strengthening advocacy efforts to shape government policies and to cultivate community empowerment across the Eastern Caribbean.”
The initiative is part of the UN’s broader efforts to strengthen advocacy, shape government policies, and foster community empowerment across the Eastern Caribbean. According to Gibbons, supporting data literacy among young people is essential, especially in an era where misinformation is prevalent. She also stressed the importance of youth accessing reputable data sources to bolster their advocacy work.
Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs Kirk Humphrey supported the call for a data-driven approach to policymaking to support necessary initiatives aimed at improving the lives of citizens.
“We are now challenged, I think as a government, to come to terms with the fact that the traditional mechanisms that we have been using to build policy, to deliver policy, really have not worked because we have not been as extensive in collaborations that we really should have been. I think we are now reflecting on that and trying to improve on the way we do business,” he said.
“If we are going to move the agenda forward, we also have to be strategic. To be strategic we really need to have effective data. I want people to dive into the idea of data because effective data changes the world.”
(SB)
