In 2015, CPDC partnered with UN Women under the Step It Up Project with the following objectives:
To promote Caribbean Women’s Voice and Action in Intergovernmental Processes at the local, regional and international levels;
To support strategic advocacy and communications for engaging gender equality and women’s empowerment; and
To provide long term support to civil society in monitoring and implementing substantive equality using the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Samoa Platform for Action and the Sustainable Development
Goals.
Project Activities:
Gender Advocates’ Online Consultation`
There were fourteen (14) individuals who met to identify the critical UN spaces for influencing the agenda of the ongoing process; to assess the critical gender equality debates and concerns in the ongoing processes; to identify mechanisms for joint regional and national advocacy of women leaders and women led organisations and to identify mechanisms for ongoing information dissemination and sharing.
Gender Advocates’ Consultation on Post 2015 & Financing for Development
The two-day consultation was hosted on 24th-25th June 2015, in Antigua and Barbuda at the Verandah Resort and Spa. This Consultation attracted ten women, representing various national gender organisations from seven Caribbean countries.
The Consultation Objectives were to:
- Enhance the understanding among gender advocates of the negotiating processes; including Post-2015, Financing for Development and Climate Change;
- Enhance the understanding of the key gender equality issues;
- Identify strategic action to be taken to enhance Caribbean women’s voices;
- Identify a process and criteria for selection of funded persons to attend September Summit and CC negotiations;
- Agree on modalities for information dissemination;
- Agree on modalities for awarding travel Scholarships for the Post-2015 Summit in New York and COP 21 in December.
Orange Day (July 25th, 2015) Social Media Campaign
This activity was one of the agreed outcomes from the Consultation which was held June 24th-25th. The objective of the activity was to raise awareness and take action against violence against women and girls. Orange Day is part of the United Nations Secretary General’s Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women. The participants at the meeting chose July 25th to collectively be a part of the campaign. The social media campaign featured posters which said “It is possible to end: ______ There is no excuse for violence against women. It ENDS NOW!!!!”. The choice was left to the participant which gender based violence issue they wished to use such as incest, economic violence, breast ironing, and domestic violence. The campaign was held both on Facebook and Twitter.
Travel Scholarships: Post 2015 Summit & Conference of Parties 21
The aim of this activity was to ensure that Caribbean Gender Advocates voices are heard at global policy events such as the Post 2015 Summit and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) – Conference of the Parties (COP) 21, Paris, France.
Our Stories; Our Goal 5 Artistic Prop
The CPDC developed an artistic prop to help carry the message of the importance of the Sustainable Development Goal 5 and enhance the policy framework in the fight against gender based violence. The prop was an envelope addressed to Parliament with bruises and scars to show the effects of how the lack of a policy framework affects women.
Our Stories: Our Goal 5 Social Media Campaign
This exercise called for the Gender Advocates’ Organizations to submit stories surrounding gender-based violence. It aimed to highlight the struggles that women face as part of their daily lives. The emphasis was not only focusing on physical violence but covered broader issues such as street harassment, sexual harassment in the workplace or at a religious place, the glass ceiling at the workplace, discrimination due to gender, race, (dis) ability, age and social class (in any setting) or psychological violence. The stories were posted on Facebook and Twitter using the specific hashtags #ourstories #ourgoal5 #16Days #orangetheworld #globalgoals.
Video Clip – Public Service Announcement for Sustainable Development Goal 5 & 16 Days of Activism
In collaboration with the Institute for Gender and Development Studies: Nita Barrow Unit (IGDS: NBU) and the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination (EBCCI), the CPDC created a short video clip focusing on the 16 Days of Activism Theme for 2015, as well as, Sustainable Development Goal 5. The video clip portrayed a Caribbean perspective and showed the cross-cutting element of Goal 5. The video clip was a minute and thirty-eight seconds in length, and was uploaded to the CPDC’s Facebook and YouTube page and the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill’s YouTube account.
Television (CBC Mid-Morning Mix)
The CPDC had two sessions during this period on the Caribbean Broadcasting Cooperation’s Mid-Morning Mix with Ms. Teshia Hinds. This provided an opportunity to discuss Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality. Therefore, this helped raised awareness to the public about the importance of the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. In addition, the discussion raised awareness about the Post 2015 Summit and COP21.
Engaging Parliamentarians to be Gender Equality Champions
This activity was intended to target specific Parliamentarians in Barbados informing them about Sustainable Development Goal 5 and asking them to be champions to ensure that it is implemented in country. In addition, there was a Press Conference held to announce which Parliamentarians accepted the role of Champion. The Gender Equality Champions for Barbados are Senator Irene Sandiford-Gardner, Ministry of Tourism and International Transport; Ms. Cynthia Forde, Member of Parliament, St. Thomas; Mr. Christopher Sinckler, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs; and Mr. Wilfred Abrahams, Opposition Senator.
Brochure-ABC’s of Sustainable Development Goal 5
The CPDC produced a brochure titled the ‘ABC’s of Sustainable Development Goal 5’. The aim was to provide the general public with a brief synopsis of Sustainable Development Goal 5 and how it affects them.
“Make Gender Equality a Reality!” Banner
As a part of the advocacy activities, the CPDC displayed a banner directed to policy makers. It called on policy makers to ensure financing for the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular Goal 5. It was displayed on the fence of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic in Barbados.
“Make Gender Equality a Reality” Pens
The pens were distributed at the Commonwealth People’s Forum, Malta 2015 and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) – Conference of the Parties (COP) 21, Paris, France. These platforms and participants play an important role in advancing the ideas of gender equality among policy makers.
Documents:
CPDC UN Women Gender Advocates Consultation (June 24-25th, 2015), Verandah Resort & Spa, Antigua and Barbuda – Outcome Document
ABC of Sustainable Development Goal 5
“Make Gender Equality a Reality!” Banner
Caribbean Gender Advocates Key Messages on Ensuring Gender Equality in the Regional Implementation and Review and Follow Up of the Sustainable Development Goals
