Dr. Nicola Bird

Dr. Nicola Bird

Members of the public are being encouraged to support efforts to stop gender–based violence in Antigua and Barbuda.

The latest event on the cards is the Men and Women United 2025 5k Walk to Stop gender-based violence.

This walk is part of many initiatives the IHO–GBV Coalition is putting on and will take place on March 8 starting at the Botanical Gardens at 2 pm.

The walk will also commemorate International Women’s Day.

It is an annual event that saw more than 1000 people attend last year’s walk.

Integrated Health Organization is a non-profit organization that focuses on several health factors plaguing the island including gender-based violence.It was established in 2017.

Director of Integrated Health Outreach Dr Nicola Bird explained what would have inspired the partnership.

“I know personally what it’s like to be stuck. To be scared. To be threatened and after you leave,  it is sometimes worse for women and it certainly was for me because after I left, I was harassed and stalked and my life was threatened. I rose above it but youcan’t do it alone. You have to have support, and a community.

“I am concerned that other women are experiencing this and we need to address this as a scourge in our society. One in three women globally is impacted by gender-based violence and in the Caribbean, the ratio is higher. We want to raise the voices and end the silence because there’s so much shame and embarrassment. I want women to know its not your shame but as a society, we need to stand and back the women and take a stance to address this and find solutions,” Bird said.

Director of Gender Affairs Jamie Saunders echoed Dr. Bird’s sentiments.

He added that men and boys must become advocates as well.

“Gender based violence although it predominately affects women and girls according to statistics, men and boys play a pivotal role not only in the sense of being perpetrators but even in the sense of being able to influence within the household, within the community in a very positive way to advocate and to stan up against something that’s very negative, something that has far reaching implications,” Saunders said.

Saunders also commended the IHO for their work in the fight against gender based violence.

“One of the things that the Directorate is very pleased with is the fact that IHO has consistently been innovating impactful initiatives. It can’t just be one entity. It can’t just be one person executing these initiatives. So the fact that they are rolling out initiatives such as this walk ensures that we’re ultimately our institutional capacity to sustainably address issues like this,” he added.

Early registration is ongoing and once you do, you get a free t-shirt.

Registration can be done by going on Facebook at ,Instagram or on the IHO website at www.IHOAB.com  

Performing artistes like Claudette CP Peters, Empress and Menace XL will be on the road.