Dozens of young people have added their voices to the chorus rejecting gender-based violence (GBV) in Antigua and Barbuda, and calling for action and change. During the Change Starts Here: Youth Against Gender-Based Violence Workshop on Saturday, February 1st, at the Multipurpose Cultural Centre, 39 youngsters took part in informative and creative activities organised by the Integrated Health Outreach Gender-Based Violence Coalition (IHO-GBV). Most participants were 15-17 years old.

While the majority were girls, the males who took part showed equal enthusiasm for the message being communicated. Asked for his feedback near the end of the workshop, Jamalee Jarvis, a teenager currently in secondary school, stated, “I want to appeal to the boys and men in Antigua: Do not hurt people’s children. In the future that could be your child. Do unto others as you want people to treat you.”

Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence, or some form of violence by an intimate partner, whether emotional, sexual, physical or financial.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), as many as one in three women globally has experienced violence from an intimate partner.

In the Caribbean, these rates are higher than the global average. Surveys by UN Women suggest that in the Caribbean, 46 percent of women have experienced at least one form of violence in their lifetime. Surveys on GBV in the region also show that a high number of cases go unreported.

The initiative on Saturday aimed to sensitise boys and girls about topics such as consent, healthy relationships and how to recognise abuse – whether sexual, physical, emotional, or financial – and what to do in such situations. The workshop team addressed “red flags” in relationships – things that people do or say to one another that are abusive and should not be accepted.

While the first component of the session was informative, the second was creative. Youngsters were given manilla, pens, markers, glue and all the essentials necessary to set about crafting placards with powerful messages that will be displayed at the Men & Women United 2025: Stop Gender-Based Violence 5k Walk on March 8th, 2025. Some of the slogans chosen by the youth included “My Clothes Are NOT My Consent”, “Real Men Don’t Rape”, “Respect Our Mothers, Sisters, and Daughters”, “No More Silence, No More Shame” and “Girls & Women’s Safety is a Human Right”.

The IHO-GBV Coalition is an arm of the nonprofit organisation Integrated Health Outreach Inc. (IHO). The workshop team from IHO was led by Counsellor, Karen Germain, with other core team members being Joel Germain and Jahna Peter. IHO’s Communications Specialist Kieron Murdoch and its Executive Director, Dr Nicola Bird were also part of Saturday’s event.

Asked why it was important to connect with youth, Karen Germain said, “Gender-based violence is a national issue. The unfortunate reality is that young people may be exposed to it even today, have experienced it, or may experience it later in life. Today, we are aiming to help them recognise what abuse looks like and to emphasise the message of respecting one another and having zero tolerance for violence. We have to un-normalise this type of harmful behaviour.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Bird said, “We are simply elated to have the opportunity to reach this many youngsters and we plan to repeat this workshop next Saturday and on Saturdays leading right up to the walk on March 8th. Addressing gender-based violence means calling out harmful attitudes that make violence against women and girls so pervasive in our society. Working with young people to sensitise them is often one of the most effective ways to change attitudes.”

The Change Starts Here: Youth Against Gender-Based Violence Workshop was supported by the Directorate of Gender Affairs (DoGA).  Just last week, the DoGA’s Executive Director, Jamie Saunders, spoke of the need to “resocialise our society to be more open” when it comes to confronting GBV. Youth leaders, educators, civil society organisations and community groups or clubs that want their students or youth members to take part in a workshop should call or WhatsApp 736-4446.

The event was also designed to encourage younger generations to participate in the Men & Women United 2025: Stop Gender-Based Violence 5k Walk being organised by IHO-GBV on March 8th, 2025. The walk will coincide with International Women’s Day 2025. It starts at 2:00 pm in the Botanical Gardens. A separate leg of the event is planned for Barbuda on March 15th. The walk, the youth workshops and other activities by the IHO-GBV Coalition are supported by Equality Fund and Global Affairs Canada. The Coalition is aiming to register 2000 people this year. Register for the March 8th walk here: https://qrco.de/bfg85S