“Hard evidence is lacking on prevalence rates on gender-based violence in our region.”
Programme manager for culture and community development at the Caricom Secretariat, Dr Hilary Brown, made this assertion during the opening of the Expert Group Meeting On Piloting Prevalence Surveys On Gender-Based Violence yesterday at the Radisson Aquatica Resort.
This initiative by the United Nations is part of a request by regional governments and non-governmental organisations to collect adequate data to help formulate a national response to gender-based violence.
“It is alarming that our region is said to have some of the highest incidences of violence in the world, including domestic violence and sexual assault,” Brown said. “For example, the 2013 WHO [World Health Organisation] report on violence against women ranks the Caribbean as No. 3 for the top ten recorded rapes.”
