Integrated Health Outreach (IHO) has conducted gender-based violence (GBV) awareness workshops at Sir Novelle Richards Academy and Princess Margaret School as part of activities leading up to the GBV Walk 2026.

The sessions, held on January 29, reached 39 students between the ages of 12 and 17 and combined interactive teaching with placard-making for the upcoming walk. Students were educated on the different forms of gender-based violence, the importance of consent, and the impact of abuse on women and girls.

The workshops were led by Pastor Karen Germain, an experienced school counsellor and member of the IHO team. IHO officials said the hands-on approach helps young people better understand and retain key messages around healthy relationships and personal boundaries.

The GBV Walk 2026 will take place on March 7, starting at 2:00 p.m. from the Botanical Gardens. Registration is free and open to all ages, with free t-shirts available while supplies last.

Now in its third year, the GBV Walk is Antigua and Barbuda’s largest public advocacy event on gender-based violence. Organisers say the initiative continues to build support for the establishment of a women’s shelter, which received government approval for five acres of land in 2025.