GROUP MEETS TO FURTHER DISCUSS ISSUES AFFECTING WOMEN
A group of about 16 women met at the Office of Gender Affairs on Tuesday to discuss the proposed establishment of a Coordinating Committee to actively seek to improve the lot of women and children in the British Virgin Islands.
The establishment of a Coordinating Committee was one of the recommendations arising out of a meeting held at the Governor’s residence at Beef Island last September with Britain’s Overseas Territories Minister Baroness Patricia Scotland. The local group comprised representatives of women’s organizations and women in key positions in the community or in government.
A number of issues were brought to the fore and it was suggested
that the focal group be responsible for pushing the agenda forward.
In an interview with The Island Sun newspaper, Mrs. Frett Georges
reflected on the recent relocation of the office, formerly known
as the Women’s Desk, from the Chief Minister’s Office
in the Central Administration Complex to new quarters in the
Mill Mall and the broadening of its scope from only dealing with
women’s affairs to incorporating gender affairs. She said
it was a very positive step and she’s very positive about
their situation now. The office is charged with promoting women’s
advancement and empowerment in Virgin Islands society. Established
in 1992, the office lobbies for the implementation of policies
and programmes to secure women’s rights. It is also mandated
to mainstream gender analysis and continually raise awareness
about gender, in the quest for a sustained, just and equitable
society. “Once you have dealt with that part of it, a more
kind of specific role for the office I see as one of coordination
and
identification of what are the areas of concern for women and
men in the society. I see the community really setting the agenda
at the local level for what the things are that we should be
addressing.”
Consultant for the Office of Gender Affairs Mrs. Rita Frett Georges explained that the office continues to work on the traditional programmes, locally, regionally and internationally, initiated by the Women’s Desk. Some of these programmes have to do with domestic violence, women in decision-making, AIDS, the environment, the girl child etc. “At the local level though, we also want to identify what are the issues of concern for women in the Virgin Islands,” the Consultant stated. She said some of the issues identified at Tuesday’s meeting were a follow-up from those identified at last year’s meeting. Specifically, there was tremendous concern about teenage pregnancy, child abuse and the need for coordination of the agencies that are out there for information sharing and for collectively trying to work on addressing some of the issues and concerns in the society. Other areas mentioned were concerns of older women, of disabled women, domestic violence and parenting.
The group however did not touch on two issued mentioned by the Baroness - that of the way girls who become pregnant are treated by the Education system vis-à-vis the human rights concerns and the possibility of linkages and networking with organizations in the United Kingdom which have similar experiences now being explored by the BVI. This was the first attempt by the Office of Gender Affairs to move on formulating this Coordinating Committee to continue to share information, work collectively on addressing these problems and helping to inform the agenda of the Office of Gender Affairs. From hereon in, the group proposes to meet once a month.
There are currently two staff members in the Office of Gender Affairs. Mrs. Frett Georges said other officers are to join the staff shortly, including one male, who will be assigned specifically to deal with issues affecting men. For further information, please telephone 468-3701 ext. 2234-7.
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